Fate Gives Second Chances
by ur no daisy
Summary: An accident or fate stepping in? Multi-Chapter. Happy/OC
1. Chapter 1

A/N This story takes place vaguely in early season 2, maybe a bit earlier. I'm leaving the timeline murky. Standard disclaimer applies.

The stoic biker watches as the late model Challenger comes to a stop in front of the pumps. They had been traveling in the same direction for several miles now, both now choosing to stop for gas as they approached the outskirts of Charming. He had only gotten a distant glimpse of the driver before and he watched intently as first one bare foot, then the other step out of the vehicle.

_Damn_, he thought _those bare feet are attached to the longest legs I think I've ever seen_. The driver of the car was a tall woman with long brown hair braided down her back, yet still falling past her well rounded ass in jean cutoffs. Nice. Her face was half hidden by oversized sunglasses but he didn't care. At this distance he enjoyed the view he was getting from behind as she pumped her gas.

Finished filling his own tank, he notes the car pulling away as he heads into the quick-mart to pay and get a water, his mind already moving back to his recent visit with his terminally ill mother. It was painful to watch her die. She did the best she could for him his whole life and always supported him. Now it was his turn to take care of her. He had moved down from Tacoma, to be closer to her, giving up his Tacoma charter affiliation and going Nomad. The Sons took care of their own in times of need. He was making Charming his home away from home right now, and that seemed to be working for him and the club.

His head cleared of all the bad shit as he got back on the bike for the remainder of the trip back to Charming. As he approached the next intersection, he again saw the black Challenger idling at the light. He pulled up along side the car as he waited to turn left. He stole a glace at the driver. The sunglasses were still covering her eyes but he could see and hear her singing along at the top of her lungs to some George Thorogood. He smirked to himself at her off key rendition.

And that's when she noticed him. She turned her head slightly and sees the smirk. A light blush covers her cheeks, just before she shrugs her shoulders and offers an embarrassed smile. He couldn't help himself from genuinely smiling back. He liked it when a woman could laugh at herself. It meant she was comfortable in her own skin. She offered a genuine smile of her own before her light turned green.

As he waited for his arrow, he watched her pull away, he senses coming alert at seeing what was going to happen but unable to stop it. A dump truck came barreling through the intersection T Boning her car and pushing it past the intersection. The car hit the curb then flipped over a few times before landing on its side against a large tree.

The biker wasted no time getting to the smoking car. The crushed passenger side was in the air, the drivers side against the ground, with the cars underbelly facing the road. He can't see anything through the shattered safety glass of the windshield. Climbing up he found his way to the mangled passenger window. The opening that remained was too small for him to fit through, but he could see the unconscious driver still belted in her seat. He called out to try and get her attention.

"Hey, you all right in there? Hey, wake up for me. Common legs talk to me."

Over the hissing of the car fluids hitting the hot engine and the noise and chaos on the scene, he heard a low groan, and saw some movement from inside the mangled car. He called out again. "You all right in there?" When he received no reply he continued. "Don't try to move around just yet ok? Can you hear me?"

"Shit" was the strangled reply. He could see the trapped driver reach out towards her seatbelt release.

Hey now, hold on there Legs, Don't push that button just yet, I don't know how injured you are. I checked out the car, you are safe for right now, no fire or anything. Let's wait on the EMT's. They're just a few minutes out. Can you tell me what hurts?"

"What doesn't?" Was the pain filled reply. "My chest hurts, so does my left arm and my back. Fuck me! This sucks."

His gravelly voice gave a quick, sharp laugh. "Yeah it sure does. You're lucky to be alive, that fucker didn't break for the red light at all. Hang on, I can hear sirens, so you'll be out in no time."

The police were on the scene first; it took longer for the fire and rescue to arrive than he thought it should. That was made clear by the periodic curses interspersed a steady stream of conversation that he kept up, giving her a rundown of what was going on around them. The rescue team finally arrived and got to work on the extrication. Forty minutes later, they were able to safely remove the driver from the vehicle. As they collared her and placed her on a backboard she appeared to have a moment of panic and called out to him "Wait! Are you still here?" He watched as she brushed away the EMT's for a moment until she heard the newly familiar deep voice acknowledge her.

The biker stepped forward and looked down at her face. The face he hadn't fully seen until now. The sharpest blue eyes he'd ever seen bore into his leaving him feeling oddly moved, and slightly exposed.

"Thank you", she said as her fingers gently brushed against his hand as the EMT's wheeled her away toward the ambulance. He simply nodded in acknowledgement of her words.

He watched the ambulance pull away then starts for his bike. As a cop intercepts him to get a witness statement, he looks after the departing ambulance knowing exactly where it's heading.

He'll just check up on her a little later.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N Thanks to all who commented and/or alerted my story. I hope I can keep your interest!

The ambulance ride sucked; she hated not being in control. And being strapped to a gurney in a moving vehicle was as out of control as she ever wanted to be. Her brain hadn't fully registered the pain yet, though her entire body felt like it was throbbing. Son of a bitch, this sucked.

She answered the EMT's questions as best she could as he went about checking her vitals. The hard collar was really uncomfortable and the pain was beginning to rear its ugly head. She felt panicky about being restrained. She couldn't shut her eyes for fear of throwing up from motion sickness. To her relief the ambulance came to a halt and the technicians soon had her out of the vehicle and in the ER.

"Ok what have we got", an authoritative female voice spoke up.

"Female, 35 years old, belted driver in a roll over MVA. GCS 14 on scene, now 15, vitals in normal range. Multiple lacerations and contusions to upper and lower extremities, probable fracture to left radius. Laceration to left temporal area, possible concussion , patient complained of pain to upper torso."

"What's your name ma'am?"

"It's Audrey, Audrey Mason."

"OK then Audrey, I'm Dr. Knowles, and I'm going to do a quick assessment and see what's what. Let's make sure you don't have a concussion and we'll see about getting you some pain meds, OK?" The doctor gently patted her hand. "Just try and relax for a minute."

Two hours later she'd been diagnosed with 4 fractured ribs, a fractured left radius, and multiple contusions. The laceration on her temple was stitched up and the smaller cuts on her body cleaned. The Doctor was just returning to cast her arm she could be moved from the ER. They wanted to keep her over night for observation.

"So Doc, why are you getting stuck doing a simple casting job?" Audrey asked, breaking the silence.

Tara Knowles grinned down at her patient. "Are you kidding? I'm not even an ER Doctor, I'm a Pediatric resident." Tara lowered her voice and smiled conspiratorially "I pissed off an administrator and I'm being punished with extra ER rotations. Besides its boring today, you're my most interesting patient of the day, so far."

Tara was not usually an open person but after spending the better part of an hour with this woman she felt a kinship towards her. Having just recently moved back to town, she hadn't renewed many of her old friendships, and her prickly relationship with Gemma was still awkward at best. It was nice to find someone who felt like she could be friends with. She was drawn to Audrey's directness, and her joking manner.

"I'm honored" was the dry reply form the hospital bed.

Tara grinned then changed the subject, "So do you remember the accident? How it happened?" 

Audrey collected her thoughts for a moment. "I'm not really sure. I was stopped at a light and when it changed I stepped on the gas. I didn't see the dump truck 'til it was too late. Then my world went spinning."

"It sounds like you had quite the trip."

"Yeah, it was messed up. I remember waking up strapped in but laying on my side. At least that hot biker stopped and helped me. He couldn't get me out but he stayed with me and kept me sane until I could get out."

"Hot biker? Who was he, maybe I know him."

At Audrey's raised eyebrow, Tara explained "My boyfriend is part of a motorcycle club. I know several of the area bikers. So what was his name?"

Audrey's forehead scrunched up in thought. "You know, I don't know. In all that time we never exchanged names. He just kept talking to me in that beautiful gravelly voice, about anything. His eyes were dark and murky, like slate; no hair to speak of, just some stubble like he needs a shave."

"He doesn't sound familiar to me, but I just recently moved back to the area. I can ask around, if you'd like? See if I can find your mysterious stranger" Tara teased.

"No that's ok. I got to thank him before they took me away in the ambulance. No need to bother him any further. He was just being a good samaritan."

"But your eyes got all dreamy there for a second when you were describing him."

"Yeah well, I had a weak moment. I am a firm believer in fate. If I was meant to get to know this man, I would have gotten his name. It didn't happen so it was not meant to be."

"But what about the fact that fate brought you here to me? Maybe fate is giving you another chance."

"Another chance to wreck myself on a bad boy you mean."

Tara nodded knowingly. "Ahh, now I see the problem. You have bad boy issues. I know them well. If you change your mind you let me know. I'm friends with the local deputy chief of police in Charming too. I'm sure your hero's name is in the accident report."

Audrey refrained from the eyeroll she wanted to give, knowing the headache it would cause her in this condition. "I'll be sure to do that. Now when do I get my own room in this palace?"

He'd gotten her name when she gave it to the EMT's so he was able to ask at the hospital's information desk for her room number. He still hadn't made it back to the clubhouse yet; the hospital was on the way so he stopped there first. He wasn't sure why he was here. Maybe he felt responsible for her after staying with her through the aftermath of the accident. He'd just stop in and make sure she was doing ok.

He found her room and hesitated in the doorway. She looked to be sleeping albeit restlessly. The side of her face was slightly swollen and discolored. Her hair was sticking out of the braid in all directions. A neon orange cast encased her left arm. He couldn't see the rest of her under a light blanket, but he was sure she was pretty messed up.

_A hot mess though_ he found himself thinking as he noticed her starting to stir once again.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N A big thank you to all who are reading. I know short chapters are frustrating to readers (me included!) but I hope you will bear with me while I adjust to writing multi chapter fiction. I've decided the timeline is post season one, and just prior to season two.

It's just now early evening and after being settled in a room for the night, Audrey lets the exhaustion of the day take over and closes her eyes. She had no luck getting comfortable but kept her eyes shut trying to force herself into sleep. It didn't work. When she feels eyes upon her, Audrey opens her own, spotting a familiar face in the doorway. Her heart jumps just a little in her chest.

"You found me."

"I did."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"Don't try to provoke me when I can't retaliate, its not good sportsmanship."

"So I should wait till you're on your feet so you can go toe to toe with me?"

"Yep."

'What is your name, Legs?"

It's Audrey, and yourself?" 

"I'm Happy"

"Of course you are."

He gives her the blank face and moves on. "What did the Doctor's say?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because I'm interested", he says staring into her eyes

She laughs and he is alarmed at her reaction.

"Are you laughing at me?"

"No, no" she denies, holding her side at the pain the laughter caused. "I just know what's coming, and if I don't laugh" She doesn't say anymore, just shrugs her shoulders and leans back into the pillow.

"And what's that?" At her puzzled look he restated, "What is it that's coming?"

"Oh" she looks down at the cast on her arm. "Do you really want to know?" When he says nothing, she continues. "I mean, you don't even know me, you can just walk out the door, with my sincerest thanks for being my dark knight."

He looks at her with a barely restrained smirk. "Now that's cheesy"

She blushes just a little, and looks up to meet his eyes with a smile. "I like cheese."

"And I like that you like cheese. But you are avoiding my question"

"And what question was that", she says trying to hide her grin.

"What is coming"

"A detour on my current path of sanity and smart choices, if what I think is happening is really happening and not just the result of some latent brain injury." She studies his eyes looking for him to give anything away. He doesn't.

"And what do you think is happening?"

"Why are we talking in one liners?" she counters.

"I don't know but it seems to be working"

"I feel like I'm speed dating you."

"And I feel like you keep avoiding my questions. Why is that?"

"Because banter I can do. Deep thoughtful conversation of a personal nature requires me to be on my game, and I've really had a bad day."

"I accept that" he says with another smirk.

"But hey, I'll be around. I don't think I'll be leaving the area anytime too soon." She glances at her near broken body. "You have plenty of time to continue this interrogation is you so choose."

She notices a white coat lingering behind Happy in the doorframe. "Come in if you're here for me, Doc. What's the good word?"

Hap turns and heads for the door. "Thank you", Audrey calls out. He stops for just a second and acknowledges her thanks with a simple nod before he walks out, with a quick greeting of "Doc" sent in Tara's direction.

Audrey watches him leave thinking out loud how abrupt his departure was.

Tara steps closer to the bed. "I think that was more about me than you."

Audrey shoots her new friend a hard look but doesn't say anything. Over time, she has learned to control her mouth and her 0-to-60-in-three-seconds temper. She admits to herself she felt a jealous pang at the pretty doctor's words.

It must have shown on her face because the white coat quickly reiterated "Hey now, claws in. What I mean is that Happy is part of the same MC as my boyfriend. I don't really know him. He not from Charming, and he usually keeps his own counsel from what little I've seen. In fact, I didn't know he could string that many words together until I came in on the middle of your conversation."

Audrey's interest piqued. "Really, cause since I've met him, he hasn't shut up."

Tara laughs, "Oh, now I'm curious. And, fair warning? I won't be the only one."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Audrey asks, now more curious than before.

"Stick around, you may just find out." Tara states cryptically.

"Well Doc, that may be up to you. When can I get out of here?" she asked, recognizing the change of subject for what it was.

"We're going to keep you over night for observation. Then we'll take another look tomorrow. You're going to need a place to stay for a few days, traveling is not an option until you get medical clearance."

"Especially without transportation. The car was a rental, thank god, but I'm a long way from home. I'll need to find a place to stay. Can you recommend a hotel or something?"

"There's not much in the way of high end accommodation is Charming. You are limited to a couple of B&B's or there is a pretty decent motel, on the north side of the town."

"So friend, is there any way I can persuade you to use your contacts at the police department to find out what happened to my belongings? I only have what I was traveling with."

"No need", Tara says as she reaches down to open a drawer in the cabinet next to the bed. "The police found your bag in the car. Most of your personal effects should be in there. Hopefully your phone still works."

With a grateful smile and an awkward one handed reach, Audrey took the oversized hobo bag. "I've never been more grateful for carrying this huge thing around. At least now I have everything I need for a few days. Except for clothes. They didn't happen to get my suitcase out of the trunk did they?"

"You can ask Happy about your car, and its contents the next time he comes in. I'm sure your car was towed to Teller Morrow."

"What's Teller Morrow and what makes you think Happy will be back?"

"It's the garage that Happy and Jax, my boyfriend, both currently work at. And he'll be back because you interest him."

We shall see Doc, we shall see. In the mean time, I need to make some calls; it looks like I'll need to change my short term plans."

Alright, but let me make a call and see if I can't track down your bag, maybe I can get someone to bring it by."

"Thanks Doc, I'd really appreciate it."

"Please, call me Tara. I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other around."

Audrey watched the doctor's back as she walked out the door, wondering once again at all the veiled references interjected into their conversation. Audrey debated making some phone calls, but decided she would just shut her eyes for a few minutes, the phone still clutched in her hand. Who knew being in an accident would be so exhausting.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Tara steps out into the hall and heads to the ER. She needs to get back for the rest of her shift. As she heads towards the elevator, she pulls out her phone.

"Hey Jax, are you at the shop?"

"_Yeah babe, I am. What's up?"_

"I was wondering if the tow truck did a pick up this afternoon of a black late model Challenger, involved in a rollover accident?"

"_Let me go check the logbook and see what came in. What's your interest?"  
_

"The driver is a patient of mine. The car's a rental and she's from out of town. Her suitcase is in the trunk. Do you think you could have one of the guys bring it over?"

"_First of all, yes the car was brought here. It looks like a total loss. Second, why the special treatment?"_

"I like this girl, Jax. To be honest I haven't had a girlfriend since moving back here, and I enjoy her company. This life is isolating for me sometimes. Anyway, why don't you see if Happy's free later, he can bring her suitcase over."

Jax puzzled "_Why Happy_?"

"Because he was on the scene. He saw the accident and he stayed with her through the whole thing. I guess she was trapped in the car for a while. Happy apparently talked her through it."

"_Wait, wait. Happy talked her through it_"

"I swear Jax, I couldn't believe it was him when I walked into her hospital room. They were bantering back and forth like a friggin tennis match. And let me tell you sparks were flying. For cripes sake, who knew Happy could even speak?"

Jax chuckled "_Hold on. Now you're telling me that not only did Happy talk her through her ordeal, he also came to the hospital to visit her?"_

"Yep"

"_This is just too good to pass up. I'll send one of the guys over with the bag."_

"Wait, why not Happy? It's obvious to me he's interested."

"_Because an opportunity to bust Haps balls like this has never come up before. I'm gonna torture him a little. It'll be fun."_

"Yeah, just don't get your ass kicked for your trouble."

"_I'll be careful."_

"You do that, you big gossip. Now go tell the other boys the latest."

^^^^^^^

Jax hung up chuckling knowingly at the accuracy of Tara's last statement. This club needed a lighthearted moment as the tension since Donna's death continued to build. The bonds of brotherhood were strained right now. If he could provide a few laughs at Haps expense, maybe the boys could put their own shit aside. Because this was not club business, they could come to together as brothers, to screw with one of their own. Jax calls out to his passing brother, "Hey Juice, I gotta job for you."

Hap finally returned to the clubhouse. SAMCRO keeps a room there for his use when he's in town and he's grateful. Right now, he's in need of a shower. As he makes his way back to his room, he nods to the group standing around the bar. Bobbie, Tig, Sac, Chibs, and Jax were huddled together, obviously gossiping like the girls they are. Either way, it didn't concern Hap, so he made his way to his room without stopping to chat.

Stripped of his clothes, he steps into the hot shower and lets the water sluice the days grime from his skin. His eyes closed as the water ran down his face. The image of long shapely legs entered his mind and took root. That woman was hot, even when she's a mess. He imagined what she would look like with that long golden brown hair, released from its confining braid and flowing freely down her back. Then hanging down like a curtain around his head as she moves on top of him. Hap's hand encircles his cock and starts to move up and down his thick shaft as this daydream plays out in his head. Hap finds his release as he imagines he's getting her off. His fingers being clenched by her tight pussy as she comes, walls pulsing, and his tongue catching all her sweet juices.

Hap releases his hold on his cock as he raises his hand up under the spray. Fuck! Since when did any of his fantasy's ever involved the woman's pleasure? Hap finished his shower quickly, deciding a distraction would help get his mind back on track.

"Jesus Christ Jax, you could be signing Juice's death sentence by sending the boy in cold. If that woman is anything to look at, Juice will be all over it. If Haps is as caught up in this broad as you seem to think, well, Juice and his big fucking mouth care gonna be in the shit."

"Bobbie, it's Juice. He does dumb shit all the time, Haps not gonna kill him, we all expect him to say or do the wrong thing. It's natural. Besides, it's been a while since Juice got his ass kicked. He may just have to take one for the team, cause I really want to see Haps reaction."

There were nods of accession form the rest of the group, this supposed behavior of Happy's was so unlike him that they had to see if there was any truth to it. Odds were already taken, money exchanged; sacrifices had to be made. Unbeknownst to Juice, he was the lamb in this latest round of brotherly hijinks.

While waiting for Juice to return from his mission, the boys tried a few times to get Hap to talk about his day. As usual, all attempts to talk about his personal life were met with stone silence. He never speaks about the trips he takes each week to see his mother, just that he goes there. He gets along great with the SAMCRO family, but tends to steer clear of bringing his personal life to the club. He's always been a private person. Sure he's gregarious when out drinkin with the boys, but that shit is superficial. Mostly the four W's: whiskey, wheels, weed and women. And when it comes to club business it was all business.

Hap stands at the back of the bar, his back to the pool table where Jax and a few others were playing. The guys are joking back and forth. Jax finally sees what he's been waiting for; Juice has returned from the hospital. There's no doubt in Jax's mind that Juice will come back talking about this woman. He can't help himself, he runs at the mouth about women all day. Juice likes pussy. Juice would like to spend the better part of each day chasing pussy.

Juice grabs a stool at the end of the bar facing the pool table. He sets down the laptop he came in with and grabs the beer placed in front of him.

"Sup Juice, bringin' work to the clubhouse?"

"Naw Jax, this isn't mine. It belongs to that woman who's bag you had me bring to the hospital. It seems her laptop didn't make it through the accident."

"So of course, you offered your services" Jax commented watching Hap' spine stiffen as he reached for his beer.

Juice releases a smile, "You know I did. I need at least the chance of possibly seeing what all that beautiful hair looks like, hanging loose around her, man. Unfucking real!"

Tig interjects, "Nice then huh? You gonna tap that, are ya Juice?" 

"Absofuckinlutely."

Jax watches Hap white knuckle the bottle. It's the second small, outward sign of discomfort that he has displayed. Jax decides to press just a little more.

"She worth the trouble of a broken laptop?"

"Fuck yeah. Under all the cuts and bandages, I'm pretty sure there's a smoking hot bod, I'd like to get to know better. And the hair is like fuckin' Rapunzel; it's mesmerizing. I already ordered the new LCD screen, my supplier is overniting it and I'll get it back to her tomorrow. It didn't cost me anything but my time, and its nothin' I wouldn't do for her anyway. She seems like a really cool chick. And since she need's her laptop for work, and she won't be able to travel anytime soon, I did her a solid. Maybe after, she'll do me one." Juice offers with a leer.

Hap gets up quietly and leaves the bar. His brothers just snicker at his abrupt departure as Juice tried to figure out the joke he, once again, missed.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Haps first reaction had been to beat the stupid right outa Juice. In the end he chose to walk away instead of giving in to his first overwhelming instinct. Hap had been living this lifestyle for most of his adult life; he understood the way it worked with the club and women. If he staked his claim, that pussy would be his and only his. He had never invoked that privilege. For all the club knew, Hap was content to make use of the crow eaters and sweet butts. And, for the most part, he was. Only when he wasn't.

During those times, he chased tail outside of club activities. He wasn't one for long term togetherness or any of that shit, but sometimes he was able to find solace in the arms of a woman who has no idea what he is. These times provide an escape; a chance to be something other than the killer. But he is who he is. The desolation always came back, whether it was two days or two weeks, once that hollow feeling returned, Hap moved on. No regrets.

Legs presented a whole other set of problems, and Happy was unsure how he wanted to proceed. Yes, he wanted her. He wanted her the minute he saw the hot pink toenails on bare feet stepping out of that car. But she was right; he could just walk away with the knowledge of doing a good deed. He owed her nothing. Why was he even debating this in his head? She'd been here for less than a day and she was already exposed to SAMCRO. The Doc seemed to like her, and Juice now had aspirations of getting into her pants. It would just be too complicated to get into.

So why was he still considering it?

Fuck.

Audrey sat at the edge of her hospital bed struggling to unwind her braid. Her hair was a tangled mess from the accident and she was finding broken pieces of safety glass caught in its confines. She was limited to the use of one arm and not being able to raise the other over her head, due to the rib fractures. Her frustrations mounted at this near impossible task. She finally settled for pulling all her hair in front of one shoulder and finger combing what was within reach. _What I really want is a shampoo_, she sighed, leaning back on the bed as she tried not to think about her dirty hair. Or her sore body-everything ached.

Leaning back into the pillow, disgusted with herself for her moment of self pity, Audrey closed her eyes and let her mind drift. Her aches and pains, her calls home, everything she had to do tomorrow, a hot ass biker named Happy. Now there is an image to linger on. _What are the chances I'll ever see him again_ was her last though before giving in to the much needed sleep.

Once again, Audrey felt his presence and she opened her eyes. The room was still very dark, no light coming from the window indicating it was still night. Yet there he was sitting on one of those hard assed chairs watching her.

"Should I be concerned to find you sitting in my hospital room watching me sleep in the middle of the night?"

"No. _Are_ you concerned to find me watching you sleep in the middle of the night?"

"Strangely no. But I've been know to use poor judgment when my hormones are engaged."

"And are they? Engaged I mean."

"Oh yes, they start pinging off each other the moment you step into range. I admit it, my pheromones like your pheromones."

"Is that a fact."

"Yup"

"And that's what you think this is?" He indicated, pointing back and forth between them. "Pheromones? What's that, something to do with sexual attraction?"

"Yes, but its more than that. Pheromones are what animals use to seek out their mates. The female of the species comes into season and the males come sniffing around trying to mount her. But she spurns all potential mates she deems not quite right, until her pheromones tell her she's found, genetically, her perfect match. Or at least the best possible match at the time. See, just because she horny doesn't mean she gives it to just anybody. Nature lets her know who the right one is." She teases.

"So is that what I am, Legs? You're best possible match?" he taunts back, his eyes boring into hers.

"Aren't you cheeky." She avoids, "I like it." She smiles wide but quickly winces at the pain on the side of her face.

"You doin' ok there Legs? I can go if you'd like."

"You want to leave? You haven't even told me what you're doing her in the first place."

"Just checking up on you. You good with that?"

Audrey hesitates for just a moment, contemplating her answer. "For now" she hedges, letting Happy know he's not the only one who can be cagey.

"So where are you going once you're release from here tomorrow? Do you have a place?"

"Tara told me I don't have many options, its either a B&B or it's the local motel. I think I'll go with the motel; easier access and more privacy."

"Good choice." Now it was Hap's turn to hesitate. His internal debate over, he reaches for the steno pad and pen on the bedside table. "Here's my number. Call me when you know your release time and I'll come get you."

"Oh you will huh?" Audrey smiles as his _telling_ her the plan. "I don't think I'm up for a bike ride just yet."

"Don't worry about it" Happy dismissed, "I'll borrow a van from the shop for a few hours. It's all good."

"Then thank you once again. I appreciate your help"

They chatted a bit more until, Audrey's eyes start to close against her will; the trauma from the accident and the pain meds making it impossible for her to stay awake much longer. "G'nite Hap" she mumbles sleepily.

Hap stands up to leave, looking down on her for a minute before heading towards the door. "Good night Legs."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Hap followed his plan, and picked her up at the hospital upon her release. They stopped at the diner for lunch, where they continued their 'getting to know you" conversation. Hap spoke about his mother, and her illness. Audrey spoke about her life in rural New York. On the ride to the motel, Audrey considered the ease with which they communicated. She hadn't thought it was possible to be so consumed by a visceral response to another person. It was exciting, and scary, but she wanted this man, and she was pretty sure she would have him.

The pair entered the motel room together, Happy setting her suitcase on her bed, opening it for her easy access. She removed her bag of toiletries and set them on the bathroom vanity, staring longingly toward the shower. She sighed and decided she would ask Tara for the name of a local salon so she could make an appointment to get a shampoo. There was no way for her to do it herself in her current condition. She must have made a comment out loud because the next thing she knew, Happy was offering to help her.

She trusted her instincts about people. She may not make the best choices once her feelings were involved but she was almost always right in her judgment of a person's character. She new instinctively that she could trust Happy. So when he offered to help her into the shower, she agreed with little hesitation. And with that decision made, she went on to have one of the sexiest, non sexual moments of her life.

As they entered the small bathroom together, the easy banter fell away to a strangely comfortable silence. They spoke with their eyes, keeping them locked on the other. Hap stretched the t shirt over her head. Then knelt down to remove the loose fitting sweatpants she had thrown on at the hospital. As more skin was revealed Happy got his first look at the toll the accident took on her body. The seatbelt bruise being the largest, but her legs were littered with smaller deep tissue bruises. The cuts and scrapes were minor and already seemed to be healing. She wore no panties or bra, it was too difficult to get them on this morning, so she stood in front of him naked.

Haps eyes lingered on her naked form, taking in not only the injuries but the beauty beneath them. He made no comment, just turned to the shower and adjusted the water temperature to a just warm setting to prevent her bruising from getting darker. He covered her casted arm with a plastic bag and helped her over the side if the tub so she was standing directly in the spray. He removed his clothes and stepped into the shower behind her, grabbing her shampoo off the vanity as he did so.

Audrey turned to face Hap, surprised but not startled at his joining her. She leaned her head back to get her hair completely saturated. She felt Happy's gentle hands maneuvering her to turn around giving Hap better access to massage the shampoo into her scalp. His hands felt like heaven running through her think mane. He turned her back around to rinse away the raspberry smelling foam before repeating the procedure with the conditioner. He eased the wide tooth comb through her snarls while the conditioner worked its magic.

She was overwhelmed at the gentleness of his actions. It was such a loving thing to do. It had been so long since someone had taken care of her, and never like this. Tears of relief were washed away by the spray; no one ever needed to know she shed them.

Happy didn't know what possessed him to do this. It was a deep seated need, and he just went with it. Pheromones or fate, he didn't care what caused this reaction in him, their reactions to each other, as long as this feeling continued. Hap was alive.

Now dressed and feeling a renewed energy from her shower, Audrey considered her next step. She had some calls to make and was already trying to work out in her head, how to rearrange her schedule.

As if sensing her need, Hap got up to go. He needed to return to the shop, he was gone too long as it was. There was no way he could put off his departure any longer. Just as he was going to make plans with Audrey for later on, her cell rang.

"Oh, hi Juice." Audrey responded into the phone.

Hap tensed as he decided his departure could wait a few minutes.

"It's ready? Great. Thank you so much for helping me with it."

"Yes well, even so, I would not have gotten it done this quickly otherwise so thank you."

"Now?" Audrey responded into the phone, shooting an awkward glance in Happy's direction.

"Juice, would you mind if I called you back a little later? I need to take care of some things then I'll call you back to make a plan."

"OK, I'll talk to you soon."

Hap offered nothing more than a blank stare and Audrey felt compelled to explain. No way was she going to screw this up over some misplaced jealously or territorial nonsense.

"Juice came to the hospital to deliver my bag. Tara did me a favor and arranged it. When he saw my laptop screen didn't fare so well in the accident he offered to fix it for me. It was very generous of him; he didn't even know me."

"Generous my ass, he wants in your pants. Don't worry about your laptop, I'll bring it over later."

Sensing this was going to be an issue, Audrey just nodded and let it go. "So I guess this means I'll see you later then?" She prompts with a smile, stepping closer to where he is standing by the door.

"I'll take you to dinner." Hap commands, as he leans down and covers her lips with his own in a brief but possessive kiss.

Audrey leaned against the door after he walked out, feeling euphoric from the heat of their kiss and laughing at the fact that they didn't kiss until after they had seen each other naked. Her heart still pounding, she thought, _nope, there's going to be nothing normal about this relationship at all. _

Returning to the garage Hap knew he was in for a rash of shit. He didn't care if he got his balls busted, that is part of the brotherhood. From some of the comments and questions he'd gotten that morning at the shop, he was sure Tara had told Jax about his hospital visit. Nothing had been said overtly but he could read between the lines. He didn't stay alive as long as he has without being aware of what was happening around him. What he couldn't yet understand was his own willingness to cross the line he had so carefully drawn for himself between personal life and club.

She definitely had the moth to the flame effect on him. Was it just 24 hours ago that he met her? It seemed surreal. He was- _eh fuck it_. He was just gonna go with it. Life was all about the risks and rewards.

Hap knew almost immediately he was right about Tara's big mouth. He'd only been back to the shop for a short time before the bullshit began.

Jax stood in the office doorway and yelled over to Juice, "So what's up with your laptop girl, Juice? You make a date with her yet?"

"Nah man, I called but she put me off till later. My guess is she needs to rest up before I wear her out later."

"So you think she's interested?" 

Juice smiled wide and cocky, "The ladies love my charm. And I have a feeling she'd go for a little of the awe-shucks, sweet boy routine. I need to work my best angle, cause I don't know how much longer she'll be in town. And that's my best material."

Hap wanted to burst out laughing, but he kept it in, not wanting to give anything away just yet. Did Juice even meet Audrey? She would chew him up. What a putz. He was almost ready to let Juice make a fool of himself just to watch Audrey in action. Almost. But Juice was right; he only had limited time with Audrey. They had not yet discussed her plans for returning to New York.

As the afternoon progressed, Jax and Tig continued to draw Juice back to the same conversation. Clueless about the path down which he was being led, Juice's talk was getting raunchy, but it didn't offend Hap. Juice talked about Audrey like she was just some broad because he didn't know any different. Yet.

Hap stayed busy in the shop until close. He checked the schedule in the office, greeting Gemma as he did. He asked for and received the keys to a loaner they keep on site, figuring he'd need four wheels to bring Audrey out for dinner. Hap headed out of the garage, seeking out Juice who was leaning against a barrel having a smoke. Juice saw him coming and called out a greeting.

Hap skipped the formalities and got to the point. "Where's the laptop?"

At Juice's puzzled look, Hap clarified, "Audrey's laptop. Go get it and bring it to me. I'm gonna deliver it for you."

It took a moment for Haps words to register with Juice. Once he got the idea that Hap was trying to cock block him he protested. "Fuck no! I saw her first. Get your own pussy."

Hap stared Juice down with his most intimidating glare. "She's mine, Juice. So stand the fuck down, before this becomes a problem. Just go get the fucking computer before I give you the beating you deserve."

Confused and just a bit scared, Juice did what he was told.

Hap left with the laptop, not noticing Jax standing in the doorway of the office, a look of amusement on his face. Unfortunately for Jax, he didn't notice that Gemma stood behind him, taking in the same scene.

"What's going on between Happy and Juice", Gemma demanded.

"Nothin ma, boys will be boys, you know?"

"Cut the shit Jax. There is nothing that goes in this family without me knowing about it."

Jax smiled indulgently at his mother, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "I gotta go ma."

"Jackson Teller, I will find out what's going on." Gemma yelled towards her retreating son. _Bastard_.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N Thanks again for all the kind words. And please don't worry about Juice! He's an easy target but I do love him. I think we will be seeing him a bit more later on.

Chapter 7

When Happy showed up that evening, Audrey thanked him for delivering the laptop with a kiss on the cheek and no questions asked, before they left the motel in search of food.

"Hap, as hungry as I am, I really want to be outside for a while. Can we just drive around a little bit? Being cooped up all day made me a little stir crazy."

"What if I can satisfy both your needs at once?" Happy teased, a small smile playing on his lips.

"I'd say I'm a lucky girl then." She teased back. As they started their drive to the undisclosed destination, Audrey let silence reign as she took in the local scenery. She let the lush color of nature ease her into a contemplative mood. She let her mind wander to the man sitting next to her and her attraction for him. It wasn't just physical attraction, she knew that as sure as she knew her own name.

She loved this thing they did with words; the way they played off of each other. It was both playful and informative, casual yet intimate. Happy was her verbal sparring partner, she smiled to herself.

And that voice. Yummy. Some, she was sure, would find Happy's voice rough or grating, but she loved it. It was the voice that soothed her while she was trapped in the car, and now her belly practically hummed whenever she heard it.

The tats were amazing; he was literally covered in them. She wanted a closer look at that taut body of his in the near future. Getting to see the history he literally wears for the world to see. It was a bold choice, from a strong man.

Her eyes shot over to his profile as he watched the road in front of him. He had a strong face too. Deep set dark eyes, a prominent nose, and full pillowy lips that were sexy as hell. So was the shaved head. He had a perfect cranium, and looked good showing it off.

The whole package was outstanding. She liked what she saw on the outside, and her instincts were telling her she would like what's on the inside if she got the opportunity. His inner strength and confidence in himself was extremely attractive to her. But she really needed to find out more about what she was getting into. Sure she had an innate sense of trust in Happy, but she knew next to nothing about motorcycle clubs, and frankly she was a little intimidated by the dark stories she'd heard about the lifestyle. She thought about Tara and the fact that she seemed to accept the life. Maybe she could talk to Tara.

Audrey was eased out of her musings, as Hap slowed the car. A huge smile broke out on her face as she took in the old drive in. There were two separate buildings the actual drive in serving food, the other a soft ice cream stand. A scattering of picnic tables were off to the side. Hap grinned at her reaction and helped her out of the car. He led her to an empty picnic table, slightly away from the others.

"These are the best burgers around. Trust me?" Happy asks, gauging her reaction to his latest double entendre.

Audrey nods in agreement and Hap goes to get their food. He returns about ten minutes later with a tray piled high. He sits down across from her and starts removing stuff from the tray. Curley fries, ooh onion rings! Drinks which Hap informed her were iced tea, and two wrapped burgers. As he unwraps his own burger, Audrey gets a look at this monster. It had to be about half a pound, with the meat sticking out well past the confines of the bun. There was no way she'd be able to pick that up in one hand, this was no doubt a two fisted burger. Oh well she'd figure out the logistics somehow. When she reached for her own burger, Hap beat her to it and unwrapped hers as well. As he lay it down in front of her she notices her burger had been cut into quarters.

Shit. She was not going to cry in front of him over a friggin burger, she told herself as she felt the telltale prickle behind her eyes. She took a deep breath through her nose and swallowed the urge to tear up. It was silly really, a simple gesture. Just like in the shower, this man showed her a thoughtful nature so at odds with his hard exterior.

"Thank you", she says quietly, gesturing to her burger.

"Well I couldn't let you struggle with a whole one. We would have been here all night." He laughed off her gratitude like he'd done nothing and she let it go. She had a feeling that was just his way. Hap was a giver and she didn't think he even knew it. It was an endearing quality; one she was sure would surprise her again. She looked forward to it.

They made small talk in between bites of tasty burger, Hap teasing her about eating all the onion rings herself, and Audrey blushing and mumbling something about finding her weakness.

When they were through, Hap thought it was time to ask a leading question.

"So when do you go back to see the Doc?"

"I have an appointment next week for her to check my progress and give me medical clearance to fly home.' Audrey said, finally putting the words out there, giving a voice to the topic they had both been avoiding.

He felt her eyes searching his before she continued. "Hap, I'm gonna be honest with you because that is the only way I know how to be. I like you. And I've been working under the assumption that you like me." She smiles at him laying a hand on his forearm, "I'd like to spend the time that I am here, getting to know you better without my open ended departure looming over us. But there is not much else I can offer you, given my current condition. So I guess my question to you is, what do you want?"

Hap felt his heart beat faster as she spoke of her feelings. This was way out of his comfort zone. He'd never had any use for women other than sex. Yet here he was with this woman he'd just met, who was leaving in a week, and he knew full well he would not be getting any kind of play from her in the time they did have because of her broken ribs. He couldn't account for his desire to spend more time with her.

Hap realized how long he had been sitting there lost in thought when he felt her pull her hand away from is arm. He reached out quickly and laid his own on top of it to stop her. "I agree with you, lets just see what happens." He finally says, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

His groin stirs a little, when he sees her face light up at his agreement. Her eyes dance in the evening light, and she has the slightest dimple when she smiled like that. _Christ she's beautiful. _

They remained silent, seemingly studying each other, each waiting for the other to take the opening. Neither did. It seemed they silently agreed to put away the heavy talk for the night.

Hap stood up and got rid of their dinner remains and tray. He walked over to where Audrey still sat and helped her awkwardly maneuver away from the picnic table. "So Legs, you ready for ice cream?"

"Happy, what does the Nomad mean?" Audrey asked, pointing towards his cut.

They were about halfway home and Hap had been waiting for her curiosity to fire up. It was a good question to ease her into things. "Well, the Sons of Anarchy are an international motorcycle club. Charming is the home of the founding charter, also called SAMCRO. Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original."

Hap pauses for a minute letting her absorb the information. She caught he eye and nodded for him to continue. "There's a lot of different charters around, originally I got patched in by the Tacoma charter. When my mother got sick I needed to be closer to her, to spend time with her. I wasn't available to the club as much as I needed to be. So I asked for Nomad, and the club allowed it. It means I remain a Son but I have no specific charter affiliation. My mother is in Bakersfield and Charming is the closest charter. I spoke with the SAMCRO President and he offered me a temporary arrangement for as long as I need. I can work at Teller Morrow, I've got a room at the clubhouse for when I'm in town, and I can visit my mother more often. So Nomad works for right now."

Audrey took that all in, especially his comments about the club and his place in it . "It sounds like this club is supportive of you; like an extended family"

"The are, and its mutual." Hap hints at his level of commitment to the club as he pulls the car into the motel parking lot.

Hap gets out of the car, and again goes to assist Audrey out of the passenger side. They walk up to her room and Happy holds his hand out for the key. He opens the door, turning on the light and scanning the room, before ushering her inside.

Audrey is thinking about what Happy just told her, so she is caught by surprise when Hap turns down her offer to stay.

"I've got to get up before dawn on club business. Besides, I think we both have things to think about."

She considers what he said, and nods in agreement. "OK, I think I'll pick up another rental tomorrow so I can get around a bit better."

"You Ok to drive?" Hap asks.

She knew he was talking about more than her injuries. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I need to be able to get around." Audrey laughed, "I hope they'll even give me a car, after what I did to their last one."

"You just let me know if they won't" Hap says. She thinks he's teasing.

She watches as Happy turns toward the door to head out. Door knob in hand he turns to look at her. "I'll call you when I get done. It may not be tomorrow. I can't tell you more than that. Club business stays within the club. You good with that?"

Audrey feels Hap's eyes boring into hers as he waited for her answer. Her belly is humming again at his nearness. She closes the gap between them slipping her good arm around is middle and breathes a barely audible _yes_ before sealing her lips to his. She pulled away just enough to catch his lower lip between her own. She felt his hand reach around the back of her head as he pulls her in closer, his tongue now exploring her mouth. Her body was heating up, lining up against his, her legs straddling one of his thighs as he leaned against the door. Without warning her low moan turned into a sharp hiss of pain as Hap's arm had encircled her upper torso; they had momentarily forgotten her injuries.

Audrey was quick to dismiss Haps concern, she just laughed it off. "We're getting ahead of ourselves again. Sorry, but every part of me is saying yes, yes, yes, except my ribs which are saying no fucking way."

Hap chucked as he appreciated her dilemma. "I think your ribs won that argument." He leaned down and kissed her softly. "I'll talk to you soon. Get some rest."

Audrey shut the door, thinking to herself _not bloody likely_. The pain in her ribs was now the usual dull throb, but now she's left wide awake with an abundance of frustration. She smiles to herself, _this is gonna get interesting_.

_I really like this girl_ Hap thought to himself on the drive back to the clubhouse. Audrey kind of blew him away with her straightforward approach to life. She put herself out there with her honesty and it was hot. And it made him slightly nervous. He liked her attitude. He liked what she called her intuitive nature. She has a true sense of things, and is confident in her beliefs, while still being open to new ideas. She was independent and not clingy. He recalled her telling him that men she dated in the past told her they were attracted to her strength and that they found independence attractive, but the reality was quite different. Once she started doing things on her own, she said most men find they don't want someone quite so independent. He had to disagree with that. Her strong personality and her ability to speak her mind was what, he figured, was drawing him in. And she didn't bat an eye when he told her he didn't know when he'd be back. No questions. She understood.

He pulled behind the garage to park the loaner, stopping in the office to return the keys. He headed for the clubhouse knowing the jokes would be coming at his expense tonight.

Hap wasn't wrong in his assessment. No sooner had he gotten himself a beer, than he heard Tig call out, "Look brothers, loverboy has returned, and so early too." Tig walks over to where Happy is standing at the bar and slaps him on the back before continuing, "What's the matter Hap, wouldn't your girlfriend put out for you? Maybe you should have let Juice have a shot at her."

Hap just stood nursing his beer, a hint of a smile showing if you looked hard enough. They didn't really think Hap would talk about it, but they still needed to get their shots in about his most recent actions. He'd created the situation by confronting Juice, so he'd take what they were dishing out…for now.

An hour later, the clubhouse was nearly empty. It ceased to be fun harassing Happy when he was silent about it the whole time. They finally gave up and moved on to other things. Jax and Happy stood alone at the bar. Jax decided it would be a good time to make peace with Hap over throwing him to the wolves.

"You alright?" At Hap's nod, Jax continued. "Look Hap, you and I both know I threw you under the bus on this one, but I did it for the right reasons."

Hap replied, "Yeah I kinda figured that. This club needed something to bond over, to remind everyone that we are brothers. I gave you an opening. It's all good, Brother."

"So Hap, you gonna tell me about this woman?" Jax teased.

Hap just glared back.

"Yeah, I guess not." Jax laughs. He watches as Hap struggles with wanting to say something more.

"Jax, she's not…" Hap's voice trails off as he stares at his beer.

Jax put his hand on Happy's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I know brother, I know. I got one of those myself."

They stand in thoughtful silence, finishing their beers.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N - Thank you to all who continue to read. I'm laying down some background for my OC in this chapter.

Chapter 8

Tara was getting home a little later than she had planned from work. She had picked up Abel from Gemma on her way home from her shift. Tara had called earlier and invited Audrey over for dinner since Jax and Happy were out on club business. This was a good opportunity to get to know Audrey better, and maybe make a new friend. Tara sets the infant in his bouncey seat, "Hey there sweet boy, did you have a good day?"

Tara took the time to enjoy some time with this amazing child. "We're having company tonight Abel, somebody new for you to drool on." Tara tells him as she wipes his chubby face. She continues to talk to Abel, getting him to smile and she smiles back as he makes bubbles. She wipes his little face again, before giving him his bottle. This is not the life she thought she would be leading just one short year ago. But she wouldn't trade if for the world she tells herself placing a kiss on the top of Abel's head, breathing in his baby scent.

The out of sight, out of mind philosophy worked for her for years, until the day she stepped back in to Charming. When Tara's life had gotten away from her, she knew Charming was her safe place. She knew that Jax would be here, and would protect her. _And he did_. That thought weighed heavily on her mind, until knock on the door startled her out of her reverie. She puts down Abel's now empty bottle and heads to the door to admit her guest.

Audrey comes into the house and greets both Tara and Abel. The women chat for a while as Tara rubs the infants back waiting for the impressive burp she knows he'll let out. When Abel falls into a heavy sleep on Tara's shoulder she excused herself to put him in his crib.

As Tara lays the now sleeping Abel in his crib, she hears Audrey's cell ringing. As she returns to the living room she catches the once sided conversation.

.

"Lynn! Its good to hear from you, thanks for calling me back."

"No I'm fine, just banged up, really. I called wanting to see if we can reschedule that meeting in the next couple of days. I have to wait for medical clearance to fly home."

"Sometime early next week I'm guessing."

"If you can arrange it, just let me know when, my schedule is open."

Audrey laughs "You know what? Ask me that again in a week, you might get a different answer next time."

"I'm not sure yet."

"Nope. I'm cruel like that. Next week." Audrey says with a chuckle.

"Ok, call me."

Tara watches as Audrey puts her phone away, wondering if she should just be nosey. Sure she should. "So was that about work? You never did tell me what it is you do."

Audrey sits down, and Tara joins her after pouring them both some iced tea. "I came out here as a favor for a friend, the woman I was just on the phone with. Lynn and I got to know each other through a network of animal advocacy groups. We stated sharing information and statistical data on our efforts to get new legislation passed for stronger penalties in cruelty cases. She is trying to get a domestic animal rehab network going here similar to the one I set up at home. I was here to speak to the people with influence and deep pockets, and also volunteers interested in becoming rehabbers. I had finished the finance meetings, but the accident happened and I'm trying to reschedule the volunteers meeting."

Tara was curious, "That is an unusual career path, how did you choose it?"

Audrey laughed. "It was more like it chose me. But it's a really about making life changes-it's a long story."

"And isn't that why you are here? So we can get to know each other and share our girlie secrets?" Tara persisted.

Audrey nodded and continued her story. "I was in a career that I wasn't really happy with, and in a relationship that wasn't good for me. When the relationship failed, it left me feeling lonely and pretty much ashamed of myself for allowing it to continue as long as it did. I decided I wanted a companion that I could love without any of the drama that comes with humans. I went to a local shelter and took a look around. It broke my heart. I came to one of the cages set away from the others and the shelter volunteer told me the story of this shy little battered cat. Her story of neglect and abuse made me both angry and sad. I had to fight to get her, but in the end I got my way. She was an older cat when I brought her into my home. She never fully got over her skiddishness, but I can be happy that the last few years of her life were spent, pain free, and in a loving home. I felt honored to be able to provide that for her." Audrey stops and swallows back a few tears. "Sorry, I still get emotional when I talk about her. I figured out somewhere along the way that by choosing to save her, she healed me as much as I healed her."

Tara sympathized. She had her own feelings of loneliness and regret brought on by Kohn; it's another reason she came home. Tara shudders and pushes those thoughts away. _Better not to dwell on that. _With that thought she urged Audrey to continue.

"I had pets before but they never had any severe behavioral issues. She taught me patience I never thought I would have. I learned as I went, finally realizing that when training became a battle of wills that no one could possibly win, it's better to stop and restart later. It was a big lesson for me, one that has served me well in this career path. I got to be good friends with my Vet and spoke to him regularly about what I was doing and techniques that worked and what didn't. After I had Louise for a year, he told me about some likeminded people and we ended up meeting as a group, sharing information. I am an information junkie, so anything I learned on my own or through these meetings, I documented. I ended up with a pretty large database of information before I even realized that is what I had. It grew from there. I ended up with almost a "how-to" for rehabbing abused companion animals, including resources for everyone in the region that would agree to be listed. It was a big commitment as I was still working my old job, but it was important to me. When Louise, my cat, passed on, I was already committed to helping these types of animals. I took my knowledge and used it by getting involved politically, and to keep public awareness up. I took on one foster animal at a time, it was all I could handle with other things on my schedule. It is amazing what you can do if you feel passionately about something. With the help of others, including my family, I got a grant and created a non profit organization, and with the initial donations I got to bring my niece on as fulltime paid staff. We find foster homes for abused or neglected domestic animals, to get them appropriately trained and ready for a good home. We also have a rehab center for when they aren't quite ready for a foster care, but no longer need direct veterinary supervision. Jenny, my niece, is wonderful with the dogs. She is in charge of things on site while I'm here. I do the rest remotely."

Just as Tara seemed poised for another question, Audrey decided it was past time for a subject change. "Enough about me, what about you? Besides the fact that you are a badass Doc, I really don't know anything about you. Have you always lived in Charming?"

"I grew up here, but left to go to school and didn't look back until last year. I decided to do my pediatric residency here at St. Thomas and move back. Jax and I dated in high school, and when I came home, one of my first neonatal cases was Abel. He had a lot of medical problems, besides being a premie, he needed specialized care. It was a difficult time, but it drew Jax and I closer. I knew from before I left that Jax was the one, but I struggled with the path he took, not being the right path for me, at that time. I had gotten into some trouble, and if I stayed in Charming, I would have lived my life for Jax and not for myself. Coming back as an adult helped me understand that now I can have both."

"You're very lucky" Audrey told her sincerely.

"Lucky for me Jax was emotionally available to me when I returned. I made the right choice to come home. Maybe the right choice for you would be to consider your own options here in Charming?"

Audrey was surprised by Tara's bluntness. "And people tell me _I'm_ direct." She laughs nervously. "I'm not sure of anything. That is a discussion I need to have with someone else."

"You better make sure Happy is an animal lover."

Audrey laughs sincerely this time, "Are you kidding? It was one of my leading questions. I may have even asked it while still trapped in the car. He says he likes cats! A man after my own heart."

Tara replies softly "Yes Audrey, I think he just might be."

Audrey look over at Tara startled. Recovering quickly and ignoring Tara's innuendo, Audrey determines it's time for a conversation redirection. She looks directly into Tara's eyes and asks "How do you do it?"

"Do what?" 

"The club. You don't strike me as the type, _Doctor_."

Tara laughed. "And if hadn't grown up around it, you would probably be right."

Tara studied Audrey for a moment, seeing the questions in the woman's face. "Let's order a pizza and well talk."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The pizza was good. They had debated toppings; Audrey agreeing to anything but Hawaiian or anchovies. Tara decided on pepperoni and Audrey asked for black olives. After initially wrinkling her nose up at the idea, Tara reluctantly agreed.

"Admit it! You liked it."

Tara laughed, "ok, ok, you've converted me."

The conversation lulled and Tara asked the question. "So, what is it that you want to know? I can try to answer your questions."

Audrey chose her words carefully. "I just don't know what to expect. This life that you all lead here is very unknown to me. I want to know what its like for you to live here."

"I'm not sure I can make you understand how I accept being a friend of the club. I grew up with it all round me, it was just my life. The people who live in Charming do so because they want to keep the small town lifestyle that SAMCRO ensures continues. SAMCRO keeps the town limits clear of major drugs and violent crime. So the club, while not always popular, is accepted in the town. Personally I'm still struggling with deciding what I can live with and what I can't." Tara revealed. "But I know how much I love Jax, so I have to work out the rest."

"And the stories about the lifestyle, the women?"

"Audrey, you appear to be a strong, confidant woman who could handle just about anything, including a life here. I'm not gonna lie to you, there are always women around here willing and eager to give it up to SAMCRO. And I'm the first to say that makes me uncomfortable. For most of these guys, love and fidelity do not go hand in hand. If there are things you need to know about where Haps personal boundaries are, then you should ask him. Get a clear picture before you get too involved. I didn't take that opportunity before getting involved with Jax again. I need to have that talk soon."

When Audrey looked surprised at Tara's response, Tara elaborated. "Oh, I know Jax loves me, but like I said, I don't know for sure what that means to him. We got together in some emotionally charged situations and I skirted the issue when I should have confronted it. They won't bring it up on their own Audrey. You need to spell it out, and let Hap do the same. These men, they live the club life by choice. They feel passionate about the road, their bikes, their beliefs. They do what they feel is for the good of the club. It is where their loyalties lie."

Audrey probes a little deeper "Tara, you don't seem the type not to say what you feel, what is it that's kept you from talking to Jax all this time?"

Tara considers for a moment then says "My own insecurities, I guess. Jax's mother, Gemma, has made it clear in every way that she doesn't want me here. I hate to admit it but I let her get to me."

"Why would she not want you here?"

"She thinks I broke Jax when I left the first time, and will not forgive me. Gemma is a hard woman. She's tough. She is the club matriarch, the heart and soul of the club. She protects her cubs fiercely, and I don't mean just Jax. They are all her boys, so fair warning to you."

"Noted."

Tara maneuvered the conversation away from her again. "So what is going on exactly with you and Happy?'

"We agreed to spend time together until I have to leave. We haven't talked about anything else. I have to keep reminding myself that I only met him a few short days ago; it seems so surreal. It was good for me today to be away from Hap. His presence can be intoxicating for me. Now I have some perspective."

"Sure you do" Tara mocks, "until the next time you're in the same room with him."

"You're not helping!" is Audrey's frustrated reply.

The two friends laugh together, releasing some of the tension that had built up with the heavy conversation. Tara's phone rings distracting them momentarily.

"Hey Jax, you home?"

"Yeah, babe, we just got in. How's my boy?"

"He's sleeping soundly. Are you coming home soon?" 

"I'm hungry, I'll probably get something to eat on my way."

"There's pizza here, if you want it. Audrey and I ordered out for dinner."

"Audrey's with you?"

"Yes, we're having girlie talk."

Jax just chuckled, taking in the lighthearted tone in Tara's voice. He hadn't heard it in a while she must be having a good time. "I'll be home soon babe. And keep Audrey there, I want to meet this mystery woman."

"Alright, I'll see you soon."

With that, Tara closed her phone and turned to her guest, "That was Jax, he's on his way home." When Audrey attempted to stand, Tara stopped her, "No, please stay, Jax want to meet you."

Audrey shoots her a curious glance, to which Tara responded "He's heard a lot about you; mostly from me, but also from Juice. Happy has been appropriately tight lipped about you though."

Audrey readily agrees. She wants to get a feeling for this man who Tara so obviously loves. She is curious about him. He must be someone special to get Tara to be tied up in knots over him.

Jax closes his phone and scans the parking lot as he finishes his smoke. He sees Happy pull his phone out of his pocket as he walks away from the others. Jax calls out to him and Hap waits for Jax to catch up. "I just got off the phone with Tara. It seems your girl and my girl got together while we were gone tonight. Should I be worried?"

"If anyone should be nervous about that pairing, it's me. All you have to worry about is Tara picking up some of Audrey's directness. Tara could potentially blow me out of the water if she says the wrong thing. I haven't talked to Audrey about the club very much. I'm sure she has questions she'd be more comfortable asking Tara. Shit."

Jax responded with a smile of understanding and a slap on the back, "I wouldn't worry that Tara would say anything that would scare her away. Tara is lonely here. She's struggling to fit in, and Audrey presence has given her hope that she can have some sort of normal life while living in Charming."

"Tara realizes Audrey goes home next week right?" Hap's voice comes across with a bitterness to it he didn't expect.

Jax takes note of Happy's reaction and decides he needs to see these two in a room together. Any woman that could get Hap to show emotion was someone Jax wanted to meet. "Come on Brother, let's go find out what's been being said about us. You in?"

Hap nods and the two head for their bikes.

Twenty minutes later, Audrey admits to herself that she's slightly disappointed that she had not heard from Happy knowing he was home. She was being ridiculous, she knew, but rationalizing it didn't make the feeling go away. She had no idea where this relationship was headed so she chose to follow her own suggestion and just go with it while she was here in Charming. _Easier said than done_, Audrey thinks to herself before refocusing her attention on Tara.

Hearing a sound at the door, both women turn to see who is entering. Audrey sees a handsome blond who greeted Tara with a smile. His eyes sought out Tara's before anything else. _He has deep seated love for her_, was Audrey's initial sense about Jax. Audrey is taken aback when, from behind Jax walks in the man who has been occupying her thoughts all evening. She tries to hide her smile but couldn't quite manage.

Hap scans the room, stopping only when they land on Audrey. She appears relaxed and happy, so he relaxes as well. Tara interrupts his musing by guiding Jax further into the room to meet Audrey. Hap helps Audrey out of her seat when he sees her struggling to stand from the couch. His hand stays on the small of her back while she and Jax exchange pleasantries. Her hair runs between his fingers as he slides his hand slightly lower. He becomes momentarily distracted by the feel f it.

Audrey is not unaffected by Haps ministrations. She forces her attention on Jax and Tara, not allowing her eyes to roll to the back of her head, as she feels Hap gently playing with her hair. Her scalp tingled as the strands slowly tightened and relaxed in his fingers, while she could feel the heat of the palm of his hand burning into her skin on her lower back. Or was it her skin heating up, she thought feeling the flush to her face.

Audrey tried to focus on the current conversation but even though she was answering appropriately, she couldn't remember what was being said. She looked around the room taking in Tara's contented countenance and Jax's look of amusement. She avoided Happy's eyes, knowing his pupils were dilated, and if she looked too closely at the heavy lidded expression, she'd loose herself in them. She was aware of how close Hap was to her, touching her.

Hap must have had enough togetherness because quite soon he was saying goodbye for both of them and Audrey found herself being propelled out the door. Quite soon she felt her back pressed into the new rental as Happy aligned his body against hers and captured her mouth in his own. He tasted like the beer he just consumed, and she opened deeper for him as a moan released from her throat. She felt him hardening against her lower abdomen, pressing needy against her. Audrey widened her stance and felt his thigh slide between hers. Instinctively, she archer herself into this thigh, the friction sending tiny tremors from her belly to her heart, then radiating outward causing her skin to tingle in anticipation of his touch. Audrey feels his breath on her throat just seconds before his lips gently sucked at the juncture of her neck. Audrey felt her limbs get weaker and she shifted herself a little more towards Happy, letting his strength hold them both up.

"I wanna throw you up on the hood of this car and fuck you senseless right now."

Audrey couldn't respond with anything more than an incoherent muttering. She was saved by a voice from behind them.

"You plan on doing that and I'll just stand here and wait for Audrey to need medical attention. Maybe she can puncture a lung this time, if you go at it hard enough."

"Now there a goal for you." Audrey deadpans, making Happy laugh through his obvious frustration. As he eases away from her, she wants nothing more than to pull him back where he was. She took a moment for a cleansing breath before pushing herself away from the car and calling out to her friend.

"Sorry about that Tara, I guess you were right about my perspective. But I can live with that. I'll talk to you tomorrow." Audrey says with a smile. She watches as Tara heads back inside before turning to Happy.

"I have no control when it comes to you."

"Well you don't have to worry about me right now cause Tara's talk of a punctured lung, took care of my hard on right quick." He walks with her, leading her to the car. Hap helps her into the car and as he leans in to buckle her seatbelt, Audrey inhales his scent, leather, wind, a fading hint of sporty deodorant and the rest all man. She was having dirty thoughts again. As if Hap could read her mind, he gave her roguish grin and kissed her goodnight.

As she drove away, Audrey wanted to curse her injuries, but could not. If it wasn't for the accident she would never have met Happy. Yes fate had stepped in and she met the man who could possibly be _the_ man. But nothing ever comes from fate without a lesson. Audrey was thinking of the possible moral of this story; slow and steady wins the race, patience is a virtue, anything good is worth waiting for? Audrey groaned in frustration. She wanted her lesson to be over so she could reap the rewards of this journey.

While Tara stepped outside to break up the overly happy couple, Jax contemplated what he had witnessed. When he first saw Audrey, he took in the hot body, tall and curvy, and the bad ass hair that Juice was going on about. She was attractive, and Hap was attached to her as soon as he'd walked in the door. Helping her up, pushing her hair back behind her ear, whispering to her, touching the whole time. Audrey had been practically glowing, with her flushed cheeks and bedroom eyes.

As Tara came back through the door, Jax stared up at her. "What the hell was that?"

Tara gave Jax a smug look. "That's why I think I'm going to get a long term friend out of the deal. Those two are like magnets."

Jax looks soulfully into Tara's eyes, his hand cupping her face. "I'll never doubt you again." Jax kisses her lips sweetly, his lips holding a hint of a smile.

"See that you don't" Tara replied, grabbing Jax's hand and pulling him toward the bedroom. "I don't know about you but just being in the same room with those two made me horny."

"Tara!" Jax was floored by her comment. Then he smiled remembering Hap's prediction of Tara becoming more direct in her speech. Jax liked it, it turned him on to know she wanted him enough to tell him so and go after him. Who was he to disappoint her, he thought as he followed her to their bed.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

An unsettled feeling was growing in Audrey. Her meetings had been successfully completed, she had her medical clearance and a plane ticket home. What she didn't have was any idea of how Happy felt about her immanent departure.

Although they had spent much of the last week together, Happy had gotten quiet when she announced she'd be leaving on Thursday. It was all well and good to say they would take the relationship as it comes, but the reality was, their time together was coming to a close.

Audrey was quite sure she would need to bring up the subject of her leaving. Hap had been pretty tight lipped about his feelings. She knew he had them, she just wasn't sure what he was willing to do with them. Would he even want her to stay if it was a possibility? Maybe he had been so open with her before because he knew she'd be leaving. He seemed to be pulling away.

Audrey stopped herself. This was stupid! She had to stop her insecurities from making her speculate what it was Happy felt before she even asked what he wanted. She had a bad habit in the past of deciding what people thought instead of simply asking them. That little problem of hers is a big reason why she is so direct in her approach with people now. She has to ask the questions or she'll fill in her own blanks. Now she just had to wait until tonight to get her answers.

They sat across from each other on the same picnic table as a week ago. Burgers and onion rings consumed, they both knew the talk was inevitable. Audrey could wait no more.

"This week has left me with a lot of time to think about things. One thought that kept surfacing was that they were right about me Hap. Those other men I dated? I was cold to them. I never allowed myself to let go and trust them completely. I held back. I mean, I realized I did that at the time, but now that I have met you, I know what it's like to want to open up to another person. I'm afraid of that, but at the same time, I've wanted to know this feeling my whole life. To feel connected with someone. Am I scaring you yet?"

"A little"

Audrey barks out a laugh. Hap smiles at her and elaborates, "I feel it too. This feeling that we belong together; it's very powerful. I wasn't prepared for it. I don't know what to do with it. Now your leaving, and I'm not prepared for that either." Hap stops talking, not sure even what to say.

She lays it on the line. "Hap, what if I told you I had a job opportunity out here?" Audrey watched for any outward sign from Happy, he didn't give any so she continued "Lynn received the grant she was looking for to start her own not-for-profit. She used my business plan to get the grant. I told her I would consult with her and help her hire the right person to implement the project. She asked me several times, and I turned it down. But now, things could change. I have a little more time to make the decision."

Audrey reached her single hand over and placed it once again on Happy's forearm. She gave a small squeeze to get him to look at her. "Can I tell you my feelings on this, is that okay?" At Happy's nod she continues, "This grant will pay my salary for a minimum of 12 months. My work will keep me busy; I don't have the familiarity with California like I did with New York. I'll definitely be busy. But I want to pursue whatever this is between us. I think it may be a rare opportunity for the both of us. But, I need to be clear. I would not make this move for the job alone. You need to please make sure you are serious if you agree. Take some time if you need it. I won't be offended."

"That works both ways Legs. Be sure you can handle what you are offering because I'm invested too." Happy stopped for a moment to ponder what he just said. "But you're right. Moving across the country is a huge decision. What will this mean for your work back home?"

"It will mean some additional traveling for me. But I've got everyone in place to make the adjustment. Jenny can take over the kennels and the rehab. She already runs it now. I'm proud of her commitment. Anyway, now she can live at my house, which is were the kennels are, while I'm here. It would help her out by giving her a higher salary for taking on some of my duties. I will continue to organize the fund raising with volunteer help and I'll have to fly home when I can't do things remotely. And that," Audrey pauses dramatically wiggling her eyebrows "is the genius of my plan. The network I mapped out makes it easy for anyone to be able to do what is necessary."

Happy leaned back and let out a breath. "Wow, I'm kinda scared that you have all this planned out. You organizational skills are outstanding, by the way."

Audrey laughs. "Don't be frightened Hap. This is a contingency plan that I've had in place for emergencies. I am a firm believer in planning for what-if scenarios. This is the same application for a slightly different plan- that's all. Feel better?"

Hap gives her the blank face.

"Hap seriously, I'm not looking to invade your life, or have you rule mine. We are both busy with our own things and we are very independent people. I don't expect this to be easy, but I fully expect it to be worth it."

Hap made sure to have Audrey focused on his face. "Audrey, I am no where near ready to let you go. That being said, I already used my contingency plan by going Nomad. I have no idea how long I will need to continue as Nomad. I always just assumed that when my mother didn't need me to be close anymore that I would go back to Tacoma. But I'm actually feeling good about things here in Charming and with you." Hap pauses for just a moment, "So I say, if you agree to move here, I'll talk to Clay about making my arrangement here permanent once I can go back to the club full time. Deal?"

Audrey grins wide and shakes the hand offered to her firmly. "Oh, I think this is so much more than a handshake deal."

Hap smiles and leans over the table to give her a kiss. Audrey put a finger up to his lips and gently pushes him back in his seat. "Before we seal the deal with a kiss, we have to discuss my deal breaker. I need the sex, once we have it, to be just you and me. Is that something you can do?" Audrey had to stop herself from continuing on, reminding herself to let him answer the question.

"You sure are determined to keep me on my toes." Hap says with a nervous laugh, hesitating a bit before continuing. "Audrey, I have never even tried to be monogamist. There has never been any call for it. But then again, I never met you before. I don't know what I am capable of. All I can do is say that since I met you I have not even noticed anyone else. I want you to know that I have been listening to you and I know what an issue trust is for you. I can relate to that. I'm willing to try all aspects of having a relationship with you, including fidelity. If I find I can't do it, I promise to be honest with you about it. No bullshit."

"That's all I can ask." Audrey smiles widely and crooks her finger at him. I think you should kiss me now."

"Are you sure this time? Because if you tease me again, I may have to retaliate- no creamcicle swirl cone for you."

"That's blackmail!" Audrey states indignantly, "But I agree, it would be cruel to tease you. But I do need you to kiss me."

Happy was glad to oblige. Tomorrow was coming too soon for him.

He'd spent the night with Audrey, not wanting to part from her the night before she had to leave. Hap was able to hold her gently against him now, her ribs healing slowly. It was just before dawn, and he lay awake, just breathing in the woman in his arms. He didn't know if he would ever get use to the instinct to draw her closer to him. He feared even when he could be inside her it still won't be close enough, but he couldn't wait to test his theory. He thought again of the agreement they made last night. As much as her offering to move out her should have sent him running out the proverbial door, he found himself instead looking forward to her returning. Could it be possible for him to have a true relationship with Audrey, with any woman? He looked at her again in repose. She may be quiet now, but he had never met a woman with this much determination and passion. She set goals and reached for them, and Happy decided, that is what he needed to do. His goal was to make whatever this was between them work. Hap pulled Audrey a little closer bending his neck to lean his cheek against the top of her head. He ran his fingers through her hair and was rewarded with small throaty comfort noises as she stirred but did not waken. He was content to hold her, a first for him really. He'd never watched a woman sleep before, unless you count the few seconds it took to kick some random broads ass out of bed if she happened to still be there when he woke. He didn't.

Hap found himself wondering what was going on in her head. He knows how organized she is, she probably has the first six steps of her move already planned out in her head. Yet in a matter of days, she'd been willing to give up what she built, to start over here, to be with him. That was a ballsy move. He admired her for it, took pride in her decision. He felt both awed and humbled by her faith in him. There really was something between them. An awareness that had been there from the first time he laid eyes on her. They both felt it, they'd talked about it. Audrey had told him it was like lightning had stuck. They were fully charged when they were together, senses on full alert. He'd told her she was a being cheesy again, but she was right. There was an energy to their being together. He couldn't explain it. But he knew he wanted to experience more of it. Happy closed his eyes thinking about her return instead of focusing on her departure. He'd have to say goodbye soon enough.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Audrey sat in her living room staring at the lump on her floor, wondering what the best thing to do was. As if knowing it was being scrutinized, the lump raised it's head and yawned loudly. The great floor beast got up and meandered over to her chair and placed his large head in Audrey's lap. "How did I know that would be your answer? I guess we're driving to our new home, since you've decided to come with me." Audrey reached down and rubbed him vigorously. "I'm glad buddy, I'd miss you too much if you stayed here."

They stayed like that for a while, Audrey lavishing attention on to her companion. "So do you think I'm crazy, Goliath? Picking up and running after a man I just met? Don't answer that, it sounded crazy enough just saying it out loud. But at least now I own it. I'm taking a chance. That's pretty forward of me don't you think?"

Goliath made a gassy noise and went to lay back down. "Non-committal now are we? Well its too late you already agreed to go. I'd better call and get us some accommodations. I don't think the motel would like you very much." Audrey observes the 160 pounds of dog lying on his oversized pillow, remembering how he weaseled his way into her home. He was a puppy rescue. The owners had left him cage bound when they realized they didn't want to deal with a very large dog. It left the Great Dane pup deconditioned and in need of some physical therapy as well as training. Luckily the x rays showed no hip dysplasia regardless of how he was boarded for his first 7 months. When his rehab was complete, Audrey tried to find him a foster home, but he was either too large or he acted out around others. Eventually his rehabilitation stint became a foster placement which they were both happy with. He'd been with her for nearly a year; it was time to accept that she was his person. He'd decided, and she fell for it. Neither could be happier.

Audrey placed a call to the realtor and gave her the requirements. A year long lease in a rural area within the town of Charming limits (Happy's stipulation), furnished if possible, must have a large fenced in yard with an out building of some kind, owners must allow animals, preferably no close neighbors. After exchanging particulars with the realtor, Audrey moved on to the next project. She needed to get everyone else ready for her departure. She made some calls setting up meetings with volunteer staff to go over the changes. Jenny was already on board. She was ready to take on more responsibility and the idea of living closer to the animals on a more permanent basis was very appealing to her. Audrey thanked her lucky stars every day for Jenny and her love of the dogs.

Checking her email she sees one from the realtor with some listings. She had just started looking through them when her cell rang. Audrey checked out the caller and answered appropriately, "What's up Doc?"

Tara laughs at the bad joke. "I'm just calling to check up on you, how are you feeling?"

"Better, the plane ride was a bitch, but it's good to be home, for now." Audrey let her sentence hang.

"What do you mean for now?" 

"I'm coming back to Charming in a few weeks. I'll get my cast off, then I'm driving out."

Tara screamed into the phone, "I knew it! I just new it! That is awesome, I'm so glad. Is it a visit or something more?" 

"No, I'm looking at rentals as we speak. I need a place with a large fenced in yard for my dog, and any others that may come to foster. This move is for at least a year."

"I'm so excited. It will be so good having you here. Can I do anything to help? And don't worry if you don't find a place in time, you can stay with me as long as you need."

"Thanks for that Tara but if you saw my dog, you'd change you mind, he's enormous!"

"It's not like I'm ever at the house anyway. I'm here with Jax and Abel every night I'm not working. And I like dogs."

"Yeah but this one is a little much. I appreciate your offer and I'll try not to have to take you up on it. And thank you for making this decision so much easier. It helps to know that when I get there I'll already have a friend in residence. That makes this move much easier."

The women chatted a while longer before ending their call, and Audrey resumed looking at the real estate listings. There were only two that seemed to meet all her requirements at least on paper. _Time for another opinion_. She picked up her cell again and dialed.

"Well hello beautiful. It's a little early for the dirty sex talk you promised me, but I'll take it."

"Oh you want some phone sex, do you? Well help me with my real estate questions first then I'll pleasure you with my sexy voice and potty mouth."

"Deal"

"I have two possible locations and need an on-site opinion. Can you help me out?"

"What I wouldn't do for you. Why don't you email Juice the info on the places you want checked out. He can print them out and I'll go out there later on today and see them."

"You don't mind me working with Juice?"

"No, Juice it on edge from my last threat, still anticipating a beating. He knows you're mine."

Audrey smiled at his possessiveness, but didn't let on how much she liked it. "And you can trust me." 

"And I trust you' Hap agreed. "Can we get to the phone sex now?"

"Aren't you at work?"

"Yeah but I'm outside by myself. You can do all the work and I'll owe you one later how's that?"

Audrey's voice dropped an octave, her words become thicker. "Are you sure you want me to do you in public, you may lose control and embarrass yourself."

"I think I'm man enough to take it, do your worst."

Audrey closes her eyes in preparation for the fantasy she's going to play out in her head and takes a few deep breaths to get herself in the mood. "Hap? You can't imagine how much I want to be with you right now. If only you were here. I'd get you naked immediately running my fingers down that taut abdomen of yours, taking the time to get to know your body, licking, nipping, caressing. My fingers making a trail to your pants, popping your button fly open, hands pushing down your jeans so I can get my fingers around your cock. Mmm...Hap, you're so thick and hard for me. You must want to fuck me really, really bad to be this hard. mmm..does that feel good? Do you like it when I pump you slowly, giving you a little squeeze on the way up? Or would you rather I put my lips around your cock?" Audrey moans at the anticipated pleasure, taking a moment to allow her body to catch up with her words. Her body now tuned and ready she continues to play out her fantasy. "I do wanna suck you off, but not for our first time together. I really want you inside me. Can you feel how bad I want you Hap. Touch me Hap" Audrey asks seductively, now totally immersed in her role. "God I'm so wet, and my pussy is just aching for you Hap. I need you inside of me Hap, please" Audrey gasps, as the heat pulses right up her doodah. "I'm straddling that gorgeous cock of yours, teasing both of us, with near penetration. Just an inch way from paradise Happy, don't you want to thrust up and get it? Agghh…." Audrey's voice trails off and only breathing and low moans could be heard. "God Hap, you fill me up. You feel so good. Can you feel me pulse around you, squeezing you? I wanna make you come so bad, Hap but I don't think I can wait for you. You don't mind if I?...Aaghhhhh." Audrey made a few whimpering noises before her breathing began to settle down.

Regaining her senses, Audrey asks, "Hap, you still with me?" Audrey waited "HAP"

"I had to get to my room. Jesus Christ, Legs are you trying to kill me?"

"You said do your worst."

"I didn't expect your participation to be so…vivid."

Audrey busted out laughing "You mean you didn't think I'd actually pleasure myself over the phone?"

"Not like that, that was, you could make a lot of money doing that, but you won't. How did you even do that? You've got one arm in a cast, and the other holding the phone cause I can tell you're not on speaker, and you didn't fake it, I hope, so how did you do that? Tell me your secrets or there will be a spanking in your future."

"I'm not sure that's the right threat to use to get me to tell you anything, but maybe just this once." Audrey replied, her voice still husky from her arousal. "I can give myself an orgasm based on fantasy and internal muscle control. No hands or batteries needed." 

There was a rather long pause before Hap responded. "I feel blessed."

Audrey chuckled indulgently, "Just wait till I lay my hands on you."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Audrey sat behind the wheel of her old Jeep Grand Cherokee, a U Haul trailer in tow behind them. The entire back of the Jeep had the seats folded down to accommodate Goliath. This was not an easy ride for him. They had taken their time making many stops on the way. They had been on the road for seven days, a leisurely pace, with just a short detour near Superior, CO to visit her cousin.

Now she was here. She had just picked up the keys to her new place at the realtor's office and was debating if she should go straight to the property. But she was so close to Happy right now. He was just a few blocks away. Screw it-she dialed as she started making her way towards the shop.

"Hey, how's the trip going? You got an ETA for me?" Hap asked.

Audrey hadn't told Hap how close they were. She hadn't stayed as long in Colorado as she'd anticipated, so they made good time. "As a matter of fact, I'm here now." 

"Where here? Charming?" 

"Here as in, I'll be outside the shop in 2 seconds, here." Audrey says before getting a dial tone.

As she pulls up, Audrey sees Happy walk out the garage bay with a deliberate step, stopping to scan the area from behind his shades. Audrey frees herself from her seatbelt and gets out of the jeep. She waits for him to come to her, not wanting their reunion to embarrass Hap in front of his coworkers. She needn't have worried; as soon as Hap had Audrey within his reach, she was pulled into his embrace. His hands traveled from her waist up her arms to cup her face, before kissing her thoroughly. The force of his want was feeding off of her own hunger as their bodies clung together. Tongues were touching, remembering, savoring, hands roaming.

Hap was savoring this moment. Every memory, every doubt, every frustration left his head as he lost himself in this moment with her. He leaned back against the jeep for support as he pulled Audrey even tighter into his body. The hand he maneuvered under her shirt was just skimming her back when he heard a deep warning growl right next to his ear. Happy whipped around pulling Audrey behind him. As he turned back, he got his first glimpse of the perceived threat. What he saw was a huge ass dog's head sticking out of the back window. Audrey laughs at the dog's antics and reassures Happy that it's ok.

Hap watches as Audrey opens the door and this mammoth dog jumps down. He practically felt the earth move at the beast hit the ground. Audrey had told him she'd decided to bring her dog. She hadn't elaborated. Getting a good look at the mostly black, very large boned dog, Hap was impressed with what he saw. The dog's head was at waist level, Hap noted as the dog came to stand next to Audrey, finally sitting beside her. Audrey got Happy's attention. "Hap I want you to meet Goliath." Then he watched as she bend down towards the dog and said, "Goliath, this is the one I was telling you about", she said with a gesture towards Happy. "You need to be polite." She encouraged the dog some more. "You know what to do."

He dog chuffed, then raised his paw to Happy's hand. "Hap was surprised, but took the dogs paw in his hand in greeting. Hap even surprised himself by offering a few words of greeting to the dog. He looked at Audrey, "You coulda warned me, you know."

"You could have asked." Audrey shot back.

Hap smiled at her sass. He wanted to get her home and bury himself in her. She distracted him from his thoughts, "I think we need to sell tickets, we've drawn quite a crowd." Audrey gestured behind him.

Happy didn't even need to turn around. He quickly contemplated his options, before speaking. "Let's get this done." Hap says as he leads her across the street.

Meanwhile, a crowd had gathered in front of the shop, the boys alerted by Hap's abrupt departure that something was up. Tig hones right in on where Happy is going. "Who the hell is that?" He asks as they watch Hap devour a woman in the middle of the street.

"That's Happy's girl." Jax says just as Juice replies "That's Audrey"

"Who's Audrey?"

Juice answered, "Um, you know, laptop girl?"

Tig looked confused. "I thought she left?"

"She's back."

"She's smokin', inn't she? Juice, lad, you were right about the lassies hair. It's every man's fantasy. Lucky Bastard."

They watched for a while, taking in the fact that Hap has a girl. Hap never has a steady girl, ever. "What the hell is he doing?" Bobby asks, as they all see Hap jump away from the vehicle. They watch Audrey laugh and open the jeep's door. "Is she laughing at him?"

Outcries of "What the fuck is that?", "holy shit!", "She driving around with a fucking horse in her back seat?", "Jesus Christ that is a beast!" could be heard among the voyeuristic group as Goliath hops out of the jeep.

The crowd watches on as the club's phlegmatic killer make friends with the dog beast. A few minutes later they were even more astonished to see the couple and the dog, start towards them.

Gemma had been watching from the office doorway, not joining the men but listening to their running commentary. It said a lot about how distracted she had been lately, that she didn't even know about Happy's new friend. Gemma knew she needed to keep it together, and start paying attention to the shit going on around her. She was making it too obvious that something was wrong. If Clay or Jax got any more suspicious, it would only make matters worse. Gemma needed to focus on something other than herself. Lately she had given up on making Tara's life miserable, and had started to accept her in their lives again. But now Opie was sniffing around some porn bitch and Happy's moving some woman to town. Things were changing at a fast pace and Gemma was struggling to keep up.

Gemma sized up the new woman. She didn't look like porn star or a tramp, but she did look like trouble. Just the way she captured and held Happy's attention was enough to make Gemma nervous. This was not a time to accept outsiders into the fold. Who knew about this woman? Did they have her checked out? All of these questions would need to be asked later but for now Gemma listened as Hap made introductions to the boys. She took in Happy's possessive stance, warding off all comers without saying a word. It was clear to everyone that she was his. Hap then steered the new girl in Gemma's direction.

"It's nice to meet you" Audrey said, extending her hand in greeting once Happy made the initial introductions.

Gemma took the proffered hand and returned the greeting "Likewise."

Goliath took that moment to introduce himself, by extending his paw to Gemma as well. Audrey laughed at this and explained, "He's quite the ladies man."

Gemma pet the dogs head and replied, "You seem to attract that sort." The matriarch took in Audrey's frown but was further disappointed when no retort was forthcoming.

Audrey was stung by Gemma's barb, but not really surprised. It was better to extricate herself from this situation and live to fight another day. Besides, she'd been waiting too long for this reunion, no one was going to wreck this day. "Well, it was nice to meet you but I need to get to my new place and get set up." Audrey looked at Happy as he continued to glare at Gemma. She touched is arm to get his attention. "I should go Hap, I'll see you later?"

"Give me a few hours to finish the job I'm on now and I'll be over." Hap says leaning into her ear.

"Good, that will give me time to dig my sheets out of the u haul. I've missed you Hap." Audrey whispers back. She gave his hand a squeeze calling Goliath to follow. She was pleasantly surprised when Happy walked her back to her ride. He kissed her goodbye properly, with tongue and no witnesses, before pushing his shades up and looking into her eyes. "I've missed you too Legs. I'm looking forward to meeting your sheets." With that he slapped her ass and headed back to the shop. Audrey smiled after him, watching him walk away. _Nice ass_. As she was about to turn back to her jeep she caught a glimpse of Gemma still watching from the office door. _That doesn't bode well for me._ No matter. Nothing was going to bring her down today.

Audrey parked in the driveway and quickly scanned the property. She decided the realtor did a pretty good job on short notice. The place was away from the center of town. Houses were merely scattered about not right on top of each other. The house itself was nothing to look at, a mix of design styles blended over time. The selling point had been the fenced yard and midsized barn with a paddock out back. She guessed the pervious inhabitants had horses, or perhaps a small hobby farm. It would work well for what she needed. She got Goliath set up in the house with food and water. She would need to walk the property and cut the grass before letting Goliath loose outdoors. No telling what hazards were left by the last tenants, and she wanted to ensure the safety of her companion.

The house was furnished in the sparsest of ways. Audrey was ok with that. She was willing to fill in the blanks, she just wanted a foundation to work with. The place was clean; she had paid the realtor to have that done before her arrival. She also had a new mattress delivered. Money well spent in Audrey's estimation.

Audrey went in search of the box marked linens. She hastily made her new bed, giving thought to her much anticipated rendezvous with Happy. She knew she had time before he arrived and decided to explore the property. She dug out her Muck's and headed out to the yard. She walked the perimeter first, looking for gaps in the chain link fencing but finding none. She then walked up and down removing any debris that could potentially hurt the animals or the mower. That job done, Audrey decides to get a look in the barn. She was told there was a working tractor on the property. She found the tractor and it appeared to be in fairly good shape. Audrey climbed onto the tractor and took a look at the controls. The fuel gage indicated empty but she gave it a try anyway. She wouldn't turn over. Any fuel left in the tank must have evaporated over time. She hope that was all she needed but she wouldn't know for sure until she could get some diesel fuel and tried to start her up again.

And that's how Happy found her; sitting on a tractor contemplating her next move. He watched her for a moment waiting for her to notice she wasn't alone. It didn't take long. Sensing his presence, she abruptly raised her head and looked right at him. That big smile that came with its own dimple crossed her face. She quickly hopped down from the tractor and ran into his arms, attacking his lips with her own. He held her tightly to his body and she responded immediately by grinding against his groin. A shudder of pleasure escaped him and he felt himself harden in anticipation of having this woman. His reverie was interrupted when she gently broke the kiss, and took a step back. Happy was annoyed at being put off again, and it must have show in his face, because Audrey chuckled and said "Relax big guy. I'm not saying no, I'm just requesting a change in venue." She gave him a lingering kiss, her body grazing his. "How about we go break in my new mattress?"

Hap kissed her back before replying. "That's the best offer I've had since you left."

"It better be" Audrey glared at him jealously. Hap felt his chest expand about three inches with her passionate threat.

As quickly as her jealousy flared, it was replaced with an excited, eager smile. Audrey grabs Happy's hand pulling him towards the house. "Come on Hap, let's get naked."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Audrey thought she had forgotten how to breath for a minute until she felt her back hit the mattress, forcing her to expel whatever air she had left in her lungs. Her senses came back into focus only to feel a tug at her feet. Looking towards the edge of the bed she sees Happy pulling off one boot at a time. She likes his single focused self, especially when she is his singular focus. Audrey decides she needs to join Happy in his goal oriented approach and pulls her shirt over her head before releasing the button and zipper on her jeans. As she lifts her ass up off the bed to put the jeans down her legs, she notices she has Hap's full attention. Audrey makes quick work of her jeans and is now kneeling on the edge of the bed directly in front of Happy. She studies his face and lifts her hands to trace where her eyes left off. Her long fingers trace his brow, his cheek bone, his jaw. Both hands trace his jaw bone back circling his neck, bringing his face closer to hers. He lets her do this unhindered. She runs her fingers over his stubbly scalp. She loves the feel, rough when she goes against the hair growth, soft and smooth when she follows with the hair. She could rub his scalp for days and enjoy every minute and by Happy's reactions, he would agree, but that would not get him naked any quicker. Audrey slowly moves her hands from his head down to his shoulders and under his cut, lifting it up and sliding it back over his shoulders. Happy pulls off his tee shirt while Audrey makes quick work of his button fly, the back of her hand skimming his straining cock when she reached inside his waistband to release his fly. The buttons undone, she turns her wrist curling her fingers along his silken length before focusing once again on removing his pants. They haven't spoken and, Audrey thinks this is the longest they've been together without a running conversation. Somehow the silence is comforting. They'd spent weeks getting to know each others lives but today they were giving their bodies that same chance. Smell and touch were heightened senses, while coherent thought went out the window. Right now, it was all about having this man between her legs and the pleasure she knew was waiting to be had.

Happy had only one thought in his head the second her heard her say naked. He let himself be pulled along towards the house. When they found their way to the bedroom, he pulled her roughly against him, kissing her, devouring her really. His left hand slid down her back as he bend forward slightly cupping his hand on her thigh below her ass, lifting her leg up. She instinctively wrapped those luscious legs around him and he stole both arms back around her waist, never breaking his kiss. His right hand found its way under her shirt skimming up her side, cupping her breast. He gave a squeeze to her breast, rubbing his thumb over her nipple as she moaned in response. Hap needed both hands, he was not getting to touch her enough with just one. He took a couple steps toward the bed and leaned forward, dropping Audrey on the bed. His eyes drifted over her lovely form, taking in the expanse of skin now exposed where her shirt had ridden up. When his eyes found her unfocused gaze, he gave her a moment to regain her bearings, turning instead back to the original plan of getting naked. The functional boots needed to go. He tugged the Mucks off her feet, letting them hit the floor with a thud. He watched as Audrey found her focus again and peeled her shirt off over her head, then made short work of her jeans. He noted her flexibility as he watched her contort her body to get them off with a singular motion. He files that in his working memory for later. He takes in the lean length of her body as she kneels in front of him. Long torso and a flat stomach, a curve out to a widening hip. Perfect. His hands come around and unhook the light blue bra she is wearing, pulling the straps down as he removes the last barrier between them. Hap's thumb once again brushes her now bare nipple, causing it to bead. Hap just stares watching her body react to his touch in fascination. He does't stop himself from tasting her. He takes the bud into his mouth, sucking gently, before running his tongue over her tender flesh. He sucks on her nipple one more time before letting go and watching it harden even more due to his attentions. He gazed at her body as his own filled with lust. Her nipple reminds him of a ripe raspberry, the color, usually a dusky rose became a darker pink when he took them into his mouth. As he performed the same service on her other breast, Hap felt her hands come back around his head, holding him tightly to her breast, before releasing him. He looked up at Audrey, her eyes closed, head back, getting lost in the feel of their bodies together.

Hap let his thumb brush the underside of her breast as his hand traced down her ribcage and around her waist, pulling her down towards him a little bit more. Reaching up to place his lips on hers, he lets himself explore the hot skin under his hands. He shifts his body once again, his mouth leaving hers to trail a path between her breasts down to her stomach. With a barely there touch of his finger he traces a pattern on her skin watching her stomach muscles contract at his touch. She's either ticklish, or nervous or both. His touch becomes more bold as he glides his hand over her lower abdomen and over her mound cupping her hot little pussy in his hand. He both hears and feels her reaction to his sudden touch. As his fingers find her moist folds, he kisses the same trail his hand made down her body. When he feels her stiffen under him, he finally breaks the silence. "Let me. I want to do this." Hap insists, as he reengages eye contact with Audrey. She seems almost reluctant, and he wants to changer her mind. "It's only fair to let me have my way. This was the first fantasy I ever had about you, Legs. I think that this is more of that fate stuff going on here." Happy stops talking and puts his lips to better use.

Audrey is somewhat astounded by Hap's admission. She loves when he randomly drops these little nuggets of thoughts or information on her; although his timing could have been better with this one. She was having trouble with coherent thought right now, as she felt Hap's tongue make first contact with her already throbbing pussy. Oh god she wanted to grind her pussy right into his face, she was so hot for this man. She wanted his cock inside her but he was busy taunting her with his hands and mouth. And he was good at it. She felt her vaginal walls tighten around his fingers as the pumped in and out of her. His thumb brushed her clit quickly before being replaced with this lips sucking her clit, running his tongue over her nub as his fingers curled to rub tightly over her walls. She felt the heat run up her spine to the base of her skull where it exploded causing her to shudder in deep arousal. She felt her skin get hotter start to tingle as he laved her in all the right places, pleasure floating through brain firing off signals wherever Hap touched her. This man made her want to feel more than she ever allowed herself. It was frightening and exhilarating to give into the passion and not put the brakes on emotionally. There was a whole new level of intimacy that Audrey was just experiencing for the first time. As she came back down, she wondered if it was the same for Happy and she reasoned that it probably was.

Wanting to give Happy the same pleasure she just received, Audrey turned Hap over onto his back and made her way down his chest kissing her way down the snake's tail. Audrey felt a tug on her still braided hair. Hap had wrapped his hand around it a few times and was using it as leverage to bring her face back up to meet his. "No' Hap commanded "I need to be inside of you now." Feeling the same way, Audrey pulls her leg over Hap so she is straddling his lap. Audrey looks down seeing Hap's hard shaft twitching in anticipation. Making them wait no longer, Audrey lift up and lets her throbbing cunny seek out his cock and lead it home. As soon as she feels his head make contact, she sinks down fast, her tight muscles, squeezing his cock upon its entry into her warm body. Both let out groans, a mixture of relief for finally getting here and unsated need because it wasn't yet enough. Her body adjusted to being filled, Audrey starts to move over him a few times, enjoying the feel of Happy inside of her. Happy's hand finds it's way to her hair again, this time tugging at the band keeping the braid in place. Guessing where he is going with this move, Audrey works the braid out of her hair, freeing it all, as Happy moves in an agonizingly slow, teasing holding pattern, hands rubbing her thighs, as he watches her at her task. Hair free at last, Audrey gives it one last rake of her hands as she leans down to kiss Happy once again.

The feel of her squeezing him with her already tight pussy was driving Hap insane. She felt so good. He loved her following his lead, she seem to know just what he wanted as he watches her release her hair from the braid. He can't take his eyes from her as she shakes out the remains of the braid and leans forward, her hair all wild, making her look even more sexy if that was possible. She kissed him gently before pulling back again to look at his face as he continued to slowly pump in and out of her. He notices her usually bright blue eyes were now darkened in passion, he can barely make out the color but the intent in them was clear. She wanted to consume him. It was right there in her stare. And as Hap looked up into those passion filled eyes, a curtain of firey golden brown hair falling down around them, masking the light, their breath making a heated cocoon for the two lovers, he decided he would let her. He brought a hand up and wrapped it around the back of her neck as he thrust up hard into her, once then again. He felt her warm pussy pull him in a little deeper as he turned her on her back, giving him the leverage he now demanded. He pounded into her hard and deep each time feeling her tight pussy pulling him deeper into her and deeper under her spell. His skin was on fire where she touched him, he felt her everywhere around him, as he buried himself deeper into her core. Sensing the precarious hold he had on his own release, Hap dipped his hand back onto Audrey's swollen clit, giving her nub a gentle circular rub. He felt Audrey push against his thumb in her need for release. The noises she was making in her throat were making his engorged cock even harder. He slammed harder into her body making her take all that he had and screaming for him before he allowed himself to come inside of her. He felt her pulsating around him in the throws of her own orgasm as his own is released with a loud guttural groan. He feels her constricting around him again, pulling him into the safety of her body as he lets himself relax completely in her arms.

Arms and legs still wrapped around his tight body, Audrey holds on while she comes down. As her breathing slows to normal she feels Happy lift his head from her chest. He meets her eye and holds her gaze. She thinks he might just be trying to read her mind, based on the intensity of his stare. Audrey smiles at him, as her hand snakes around his neck pulling him down to meet her lips. She tells him with her kiss how much she enjoyed being with him. He reciprocated with a long languorous kiss of his own. As their lips fell away, Happy rolled over on his back, holding Audrey close to his body as he did. She found herself draped over his side with her head on his chest. It felt like heaven to her. She found her fingers tracing the muscles of this chest and abs, as her mind plays over what has happened between them finally.

Happy feels the hand on his chest start to slow its movements, the breath on his chest evening out as Audrey falls into a light sleep. His own hand has been running over her hair for the past several minutes. It was soft to his touch, and he liked running his fingers through it. There wasn't much he didn't like about this woman. He felt more alive when he was with her. Not just sexually charged, but actual living. The numbness was lifting. Hap considered what he could be exposing himself to if this feeling continued. Pain, heartbreak, guilt, self-reflection, all came to mind. Then he heard Audrey's voice in his head; _love, fulfillment, happiness, someone to call home_. Right now, Hap couldn't see the argument with Audrey's voice. He never thought he wanted those things before, but now? She was filling up his empty place, and there was no walking away from that.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N So I decided on one more Hap/Audrey intimate bonding chapters before moving forward with my plot which, I promise, there is one-mostly. Thanks to all who read, alert, or review.

Chapter 14

Audrey woke from her nap to the sound of whining at the door. She lifted her head to just make out Happy's sleeping form under her. As she adjusts to get out of bed, Happy's arms tighten around her to hold her in place. She kisses his lips and whispers for him to go back to sleep. She found most of her clothes in the dark, got dressed quickly and headed out the door. She greeted Goliath who was loudly thumping his tail against the wall, and got him out of the house before he could make any more noise.

As she watched Goliath race out the door to quickly find the nearest tree, she felt bad for neglecting him for this long. Audrey smiled to herself grabbing a leash on the way out the door, she felt bad, but couldn't regret it. Her body quivered as her mind replayed the feel of Happy's hands against her skin. She could practically orgasm off the memory, he felt so right. She called out to Goliath and he came running back to her. She lavished attention onto her friend then clipped the leash onto his collar. "Ready for a walk big boy? Come on."

They walked down the road a ways before Audrey started up a conversation. "So what do you think Goliath, Hmm? Don't worry, I'll get the yard mowed tomorrow and it will be better once you can have the run of the place." Goliath's tags tinkled against the leash as he shakes his head. Other than that he had nothing to add. "So I'm really, really hoping you are secure enough in our relationship to be nice to Happy. It would mean a lot to me. There's no need for you to act up in front of him. You're stuck with me now, so you can relax. Will you do that for me, buddy?"

Goliath stopped to take another leak and perhaps to contemplate the request. When he was done they headed back to the house. Entering through the kitchen door, she spots Happy, all dressed, getting a drink. There goes her brilliant idea of getting undressed and slipping back into bed with Happy. Oh well, later. She picks up Goliaths water dish and refills it, leaning over to give Happy a quick smooch. Happy turned it into something that almost landed them back in the bedroom before someone's stomach growled loudly. They broke apart grinning like idiots at each other. "Well at least one of us is hungry, but I've got no food in the house yet, unless you want a stale doughnut from this morning."

Hap pulls out his phone. "I'll order pizza, what do you want?"

"mmm...bacon and hot peppers?"

"Interesting choice. You know you eat like a guy."

"I do not!" Audrey says indignantly. "Ok so maybe I do, but I can't help the fact that bacon is the very best flavor on the planet. Besides you've only seen me at my worst, eating takeout and fast food; you have yet to taste my culinary skills."

"So you're a good cook?"

"I do okay. What are your feelings on baked goods? Because that is an area I excel at."

"You excel in more than one area, Legs, do I need to remind you, cause I don't mind." Hap teases her as he moves behind her and slips an arm around her waist pulling her to his chest.

Audrey tilts her head giving Happy full access as he kisses down her neck. She feels his hand snake under her shirt cupping her bare breast under her shirt. "Mmm, did you lose something?"

"I got dressed in the dark, are you complaining?"

"No ma'am." Hap replies, as he now has both hands full of Audrey who is enjoying the attention, until her stomach growls loudly again. She leans her had back on his shoulder and sighs, "Sorry, I'm really hungry."

Hap grabs out his phone again to dial "Pizza it is."

After making the call, Hap and Audrey go to sit on the couch, touching but giving each other space to talk. They caught up with the little things. Their phone calls had been frequent enough while she was home and during her road trip, that they were already up to date with each others lives. Audrey was absently tracing one of the tattoos on Hap's arm with her finger, when she felt him shift and turn towards her to get her full attention.

Hap figured he should get this discussion out of the way before Audrey started getting to know Charming. He trusted that her instincts about people would keep her away from the unsavories that have invaded the town recently, but the more information she had to start with the safer she would be. "Lets talk for a few minutes about what's going on in the town, with the club and other things." He lets his statement hang for a minute until he's sure she's listening. There were some things he hadn't wanted to talk about over the phone.

"I know you will be heading into town tomorrow for supplies, and I just wanted to make you aware of some things, to keep you safe. Since you left, there have been some things happening in the town- a power play, of sorts. There are some men who are trying to manipulate and take over Charming. White Hate to be exact. There are some people you need to steer clear of. We are not sure of their full intent but none of it is good for Charming. I would like you to fly under their radar as much as you can. You see any cuts that are not Sons, use caution. You see any swastika tattoos-avoid them. And you need to stay away from the new cigar shop in town. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes I can. But you need to know I will be out and about in town. I need to go and introduce myself and my program to the residents. I need to make Charming my home base and I'll need the town residents to make a go of this here. I need money, I need community support, and I need volunteers. I will do the best I can in avoiding these men, but presenting myself as a neutral party, tends to help me meet my goals. I may not need their money but I don't want to piss anybody off so they are working against me. Is that going to cause problems?"

"No" Hap replied but Audrey could tell by his tone he had some reservations. "No one except the club knows about our thing, so you should not have any problems for now."

"Our _thing_ Hap?" Audrey teased. "We have a _thing_?"

"Wiseass", Happy taunts before he lunges at Audrey catching her by the waist and pulling her towards him until she's straddling his lap. He gives her a slap on the ass for good measure.

Audrey's breath catches in her throat at the contact. Leaning towards Happy's ear, her hands on his shoulders, Audrey whispers, 'Is that a promise of things to come?"

Hap raises an eyebrow at her, studying her face. "I'm getting the feeling more and more that you enjoy being dominated."

Audrey shifted on his lap, lightly brushing her pelvis against him. "It's something we could someday explore. If it interests you."

Haps eyes go dark as they meet hers, their gazes lock. "You interest me." Hap says as his hands run up and down her thighs slowly. "And I welcome the opportunity to boss you around the bedroom. Something tells me I'm not going to get that opportunity anywhere else."

Audrey teased, "Maybe you wouldn't succeed but I'm sure that won't stop you from trying."

Hap was just about ready to show her who was boss when there was a knock on the door.

"Pizza!" Audrey yelled like a kid as she jumped of Happy's lap.

He just shook his head, watching her for a brief moment. Smiling in amusement at her antics, he gets up to answer the door.

Happy watched Audrey head towards the bathroom after finishing her pizza. He was sitting at the kitchen table and could feel someone watching him. He looked over and saw Goliath in the doorway, not taking his eyes off the piece of pizza in Happy's hand. The dog's nostrils flaring an eager anticipation. "Come're dog".

Goliath padded over to him, nails clicking on the linoleum floor, eyes on the prize. Hap had just given the dog a slice when he heard a protest from the door.

"Hap no!"

Both Goliath and Happy look at Audrey, who had taken her seat back at the table before letting go of a big sigh. "What?" Hap asked. "The poor bastard smelled the bacon, it would be cruel not to give him some."

"Yeah, but I've learned from experience to take the hot peppers off first. You don't know what its like. As much as I love this big guy, he shits like an elephant. Hot peppers make cleaning up after him, a rough job. But on the bright side, Goliath is totally enamored of you now. You have made a friend for life with a single slice."

Hap looked down at the dog who was waiting to see if he'd get anything else off the table from his new friend. Large expressive eyes looked back and forth between him and the pizza box expectantly, and Hap started to understand Audrey's affection for the animal. "Yeah, well, it's better than fighting him for your attention." Hap tells Audrey as he grabs her hand and pulls her into his lap.

Audrey runs her hand over the top of Hap's head and curls her fingers around his neck, rubbing in small circles, much to Happy's contentment. "What's the matter Hap, do you need some more of my attention? I'm very happy to meet all your needs."

Audrey's voice was like a smooth and rich, like a good scotch, and it was making him hard. This woman knew how to work him into a fevered state. Her voice, her nearness, and her hands gently massaging his scalp were causing his body to react quickly with need. Not one to passively give in to her teasing ways, Hap slid one arm under her legs and the other around her back. Standing up, he carried her back to the bedroom.

Their lovemaking was less urgent this time, the need for the instant gratification of their first joining had ebbed, but the passion between them had not diminished. They took their time exploring each other's bodies, looking for signals of likes and dislikes, sensitive places, and ticklish spots. There was no awkwardness, even when their movements became out of sync. They adjusted and continued on.

Hap loved the feel of being inside of her. Fast or slow, whatever position, he was sheathed in the tightest warmth he had ever known. She had a way a running her fingers over his skin that made him extra sensitive to her touch. And her hands were on him constantly, always touching. It felt like she was trying to learn his body with her hands. The touch of her finger tips was firm but not rough, it was pretty erotic, Hap mused. The feeling made him want to come hard and fast one minute, then slow and easy the next depending where her hands were on his body. He found his pleasure was wrapped up in Audrey's; the more she responded to him, the more his body answered back.

Audrey found herself watching Happy attentively while they made love this time. This was another new experience for her. She usually lost herself in her own pleasure, shutting her eyes, and letting her mind take her elsewhere, but not with Hap. Her eyes were drawn to his, the intensity of his stare making Audrey's heart beat faster in anticipation. His already dark eyes were now black with desire. Desire for her. It was a heady feeling, being wanted this much by a man whom she desired equally as much. She'd never been quite on the same page, feelings wise, with a lover before. There was no disconnect between them; no separation of physical from the mental. There was just Hap and Audrey; everything else just fell away as he moved inside of her. Happy leaned down slowly, lightly touching his lips to hers. Her mouth opened beneath his, still with the lightest of pressure. His lips and tongue were teasing her and it was working her into a state of humming arousal, and his cock was backing his tongues play. She felt her pleasure censors firing, then nothing but aching need as Happy slowed his pace once again. The teasing was going to end soon, she'd make sure of it. Her desire for him was great, as she arched up to meet his trust desperately seeking satisfaction. Happy kissed her again and she could feel the cocky smirk on his lips as he did so. She could tell he liked being able to make her crazy and desperate. _Bastard._ She smirked back at him. She loved it and he knew it.

She grasped his lower lip between her teeth in retaliation, giving him a quick nip, before laving the wound with her tongue, then taking hip bottom lip between hers and kissed him sweetly. "You need to stop teasing me Hap. I need you to fuck me fast and hard. I want to come so hard I almost pass out with the pleasure." Her deep voice worked in tandem with her hands which had once again found their way to Happy's scalp, lightly making patterns with her fingernails. Audrey could sense Hap's heightened state of awareness as his cock stilled inside her. His breath hitched in his throat, and he let out a small moan of pleasure as she leaned forward and kissed, bit gently, then laved his nipple. "Please Hap? I can't get enough of you. I need more."

Audrey was elated that Happy finally understood her need for him and gave in to her demands. She felt his cock, hard and true pumping into her faster, his protruding hip bones hitting her own as he started ramming into her, in bruising pleasure. His body was tight not an ounce of fat on this lean frame. He is so incredibly sexy-lean, hard, dark, brooding good looks, a fascinating mind and assured countenance; the whole package was overwhelming to her senses. Her arousal was off the charts. Hap grabbed her ankle, pushing her knee up towards her then over his shoulder, allowing himself to enter more deeply into her warm channel much to Audrey's delight. She felt his hand find its way between their bodies where his thumb sought out her throbbing clit and she lifted her gaze to once again meet his intense stare. _Can he see inside of me, through me? Can he see my history, my pain, my soul?_ Audrey's thoughts ceased as she felt the fire in her belly explode as Happy increased the intensity of his thrusts until he came hard with a final deep thrust, her leg sliding back down his side and around his waist. Wrapping her ankles together she held him close to her body. Both lovers made sounds of joyous release, as they came together in that elusive feeling of fulfillment.

As their breathing retuned to normal, Audrey looked up and met Happy's eyes with her own once again. She held his gaze turning onto her side as he turned onto his back. She was afraid to open her mouth, afraid of what might slip out if she did. So instead she gave him a sated smile, letting him see her happiness for himself, before curling into his side and snuggling in, her hand resting palm over his heart as she lets herself slide into a contented daze.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The grass and weeds in the yard had been mowed to acceptable levels, the U Haul unpacked and returned, and the few supplies she brought with her were laid out in the barn. It had been a productive few days. Audrey squeezed her legs together feeling the sweet soreness and remembers just how productive it was. Productive, and energetic, and sweet lovin good. Audrey had no complaints, except for the fact that she was behind schedule. But Happy left this morning to visit his Mom and Audrey had decided that today is a good day to go into town and take a look around. She had been to the grocery store her second day here but that was the extent so far. Goliath is an easy sell and comes along for the ride without actual bribery. They were headed first to the Police Station to let the chief meet Goliath personally. They were bound to get questions about him, he was so big that some people were afraid. Better to let the chief form his own opinion. Plus the police were a good contact in animal rescue cases as many times they overlap into the criminal.

Audrey parks in the municipal parking lot and lets Goliath out of the back. It is only a few blocks to the police station from here, but already Audrey can feel the attention Goliath is drawing. He really is an incredible sight to behold. The sheer size of him alone is noteworthy, but add to that his regal stance and bone structure and you've got yourself a high profile dog. Audrey didn't complain. As much as she would prefer for herself not to be the center of attention, Goliath was the best ice breaker on the planet. Talk about a conversation starter! Audrey could then usually lead the conversation around to the foundation, and the work they do. Goliath was her best advocate.

Audrey and Goliath stopped and waited for the light to cross the street. She sees a young teenage girl standing there at the curb, holding her school books in front of her like a shield, but watching Goliath with curiosity. "You can pet him if you like, he's very gentle." She watches the girl for a reaction, and is finally rewarded when the girl closes the distance between them and reaches out to the dog. "His name is Goliath. I named him after the leader from Gargoyles." The girl nods and continues to lavish Goliath with attention.

Audrey tries again. "Do you have a dog?"

The girl shakes her head and Audrey thinks that's all she's going to get until a small voice says "My mother said she doesn't want a dog making a mess in the house."

Audrey notices a sadness about the girl, not only in her voice and countenance but with the way she is clearly trying to release her feelings with every stroke of the dog; a silent communication of need. "You know, I work with animals, mostly dogs, and I'm always looking for volunteers to help me, if you're interested that is."

The girl shoulders stiffened and looked like she was braced to run off. Audrey watched those shoulders hunch in defeat. "My mother would never allow it."

Audrey considered what to say. "What's your name sweetie?"

"Tristan Oswald."

"My name is Audrey Mason." Audrey introduces herself and reaches in her bag, pulling out a business card and handing to the girl. "Tristan, here is my contact information. If you are truly interested in volunteering, I would be glad to speak to your parents. They can check my references, my bio is on the website. It's up to you, but sometimes in life there are things you want to stand up for. Think about if this is one of them. Like I said, I'm happy to talk to your parents."

The light changed and they left the girl and continued on their way to the police department.

Going no farther than the front desk, Audrey asks if the Chief was available. The officer replied in the negative but informed her that the Deputy Chief was here. The officer went to inform the DC of her request to speak with him. He returned followed by a medium height, dark haired man she could only surmise was the man in question. "Deputy Chief Hale, Ma'am. How can I help you today?"

Audrey shook his hand and introduced herself, then asked if they could step outside to accommodate the dog. She explained her reasoning for coming to the station and also about the work she did. For his part Hale, interacted with the dog, taking note of his gentle nature. Audrey handed him some cards and asked him to keep her in mind if her come across any rescue cases. Hale refers her to some other citizens who may be helpful to her cause. She thanks him for his time and suggestions, getting ready to continue on her way. Hale stops her with an invitation to dinner.

Audrey blushes slightly, before telling Hale with pride, "I'm taken."

Audrey's next stop is at one of the two vets in town. She had called ahead and got a time Dr. Varney would be available. She was right on schedule. She entered the vets office where the tinkle of bells alerted the staff of her arrival. The two vet techs cooed over Goliath for a few minutes until the Doctor was available. "Ms Mason! So nice to finally meet you. Lynn Sherwood is an acquaintance of mine and she told me you would be joining us out here. Congratulations, my dear." The old doc gushed.

Audrey beamed at his enthusiastic greeting. It was a lucky break to find a kindred spirit so close to her new home. They chatted about the services both currently available and those still needed in the area. Audrey told him about her work, what type of workload she could handle now, until she could get some volunteer staff.

Dr. Varney brings Audrey back to where the animals are kenneled. "I have something back here that may interest you. You'd certainly be helping me out if you could take him."

Audrey looked into the small cage with lots of bedding where a small blonde fluffy kitten lay curled up in a ball. As Doc spoke again, the kitten wakes opening bright blue eyes at her. Audrey's heart immediately swelled for the little one. From his tiny body to his buff colored fur, he looked like a little peanut. "He's just 4 weeks, but he's on solids and just starting to use the litter box. He's the only survivor of the family, so he could use more attention than I can give him now that he doesn't need constant care. He's immunized and out of quarantine. You feel like taking him off my hands for a few weeks until he's adoptable?"

Audrey reached in and grabbed up the kitten, letting him curl up against her chest. Socializing motherless kittens was the best experience. For those few weeks, they are learning to eat, to poop, to play. It is a wonder to watch and a real bonding experience. She had done it before with a litter, but never a single kitten. Audrey was afraid of becoming too attached since there was only one, but she wouldn't pass up the experience. "Sure Doc, I'd be more than happy to take on this little peanut. Goliath is great with other animals, especially kittens. I didn't plan for infant care right away, so I'll need some supplies."

Doc assured her that she would give her a supply of the food he had been started on to keep his dietary intake consistent. He also directed her to a few area suppliers for her animals needs. Doc took the bedding out of the cage and placed it in a cardboard carrier. Audrey then placed the kitten inside for transport. "Well doc it was a pleasure meeting you. You sure are a salesman. I wasn't planning on leaving with more than I came in with."

Te elderly vet replied with a laugh. "We are all soft touches in this kind of work. Keep in touch and bring this one back to see me in a few weeks."

Audrey set off for home with her new charge in hand. She wondered what Happy will think of the latest addition to the household. _I guess we'll find out in a day or two how much he really likes cats._

Audrey used her time wisely over the next few days, setting up her office space for work, and ordering supplies for future boarders. With the all clear from Happy, Audrey had called Juice and asked him for some help getting her house wired and her network up and running. She had been glad of his assistance and his running stream of questions about the work she did. He wanted to know about the animals, and how she helped them. His questions came from a place of genuine interest, Audrey observed. He seemed lonely to her, and almost childlike in a way, naive maybe; possibly someone who would make the most of having a companion. She would have to keep that in mind, and look for similar signs in the future. In the mean time, Audrey answered all of Juice's inquires, and he offered his assistance to her whenever he had free time. He'd even offered to take a look at her data bases and set up some helpful search programs for collecting the data she was seeking. A smile covered Audrey's face, as she realized she had just gotten her first California based volunteer.

She found her second volunteer two days later, having received a visit from Elliot Oswald. She had been surprised at the speed in which he had arranged the meeting, Tristan must have immediately told her parents of her interest in Audrey's offer. She invited Elliot to the house to see where the work was done, and she answered all of his questions before he took her into his confidence. He explained what had happened to his daughter the year before and of how she was healing, but she needed more contact outside her safe places, namely home and the church. When Audrey had broached the subject of getting a dog for Tristan, he repeated what his daughter had already said; Karen Oswald did not want animals in the house. So Audrey shared what she had observed when Tristan met Goliath, and also offered her opinion on an animal's ability to heal humans with unconditional love and faith, especially in cases where the animal was abused. They agreed to an arrangement on a trial basis. Tristan could come over twice a week to learn from Audrey and then more often once there were animals for her to care for. Audrey admired the man for paying attention to his daughter's needs. And she truly did feel that this experience would be a good one for Tristan.

Things were moving along at a good pace, Audrey thought. Happy had returned the night before so everything was alright in her world for the moment. Audrey noted the time, and decided to go up to the house and get cleaned up. Tara was going to stop by later to see the progress Audrey had made.

When Tara arrived she was startled by the deep resounding bark coming from the back yard. Tara went to the door and was greeted by a joyful Audrey. Tara was happy to see her new friend again, this being the first opportunity they have had to get together since Audrey's return. The house had minimal furnishings but the place seemed like home with the barking from the back of the house and the mewling from the little bed on the kitchen floor.

"Let me bring you out back and introduce you to Goliath, so he'll settle down. He's so damn nosey." Audrey said leading Tara to the back door. Before they could step outside, a huge dog squeezed through the smallest opening in the door as soon as Audrey unlatched it, pushing her back and making his own path. He stopped in front of Tara, tail at a standstill until he formed an opinion of the newcomer.

"Holy shit" Tara was shocked at his size but not afraid. She let the dog size her up and when the tail wagged, she pet the big guy, who rewarded her with a full body wag, before he sat down and leaned his considerable weight against her leg. Audrey called him off, and he finally settled down, going to check on his newest charge. He stuck his nose down in the kittens bedding and gave him a small nudge before laying down next to the kittens quarters. The buff colored kitten got up and clumsily made his way over to Goliath. Tara looked on fascinated by their behavior as Goliath leaned his head, nose down, to the kitten's level. The baby sniffed the dogs nose then licked it before Goliath nudged him to lay down. The kitten lying on its side now chose to turn over on his back and try to reach Goliaths nose with his tiny paws, with even tinier claws extended. Goliath just let him play, giving him a nudge every now and again, until the kitten quickly tired and curled against goliath's leg for a nap. The dog just lay quietly with his charge.

"This is one of the biggest reasons I do what I do. I get to see moments like this all the time. We talk about humanity, hell many shelters are run by different humane societies, yet I see more humane characteristics coming from animals than I do from most people. Sometimes they humble me with their simple compassion. They teach me so much every day. I know I will always want to know more and I'll never grow tired of observing them. It makes me want to do more. It _did_ make me do more"

Tara had been surprised when Audrey spoke, realizing that they had been totally silent for several minutes just caught up in watching the animals interaction. She could see Audrey's love for what she did not only in her words but with the conviction in which they'd been spoken.

Before she could comment, Audrey spoke again. "So Tara, now that you have met my family, tell me about yours. How are Jax and Abel?"

"They are both fine. Abel's getting bigger and stronger every day." Tara answered.

Audrey shot her a look before responding and Tara knew she would dig deeper. "Ok, that's the short version. You could have told me that over the phone. So why don't you give me the long version now. How are things with you?"

Tara smirked at her friend. It was nice to have someone besides Jax interested in digging a little deeper than her usual pat answers. "I'm actually finding my way. Work is still tense, but Gemma has lightened up on me lately, and I had a talk with Jax."

"A _talk_ talk? Like a get it off your chest talk?"

Tara laughed. "That's the one. Some things led up to me finally telling Jax how much I am struggling to find my way. Surprisingly enough, Gemma helped me with that. Jax showed me how important I was to him by confiding in me when I told him I needed full disclosure to make things work between us. You know, I never thought he would. By asking the question, I found out exactly how committed Jax is to me. I never felt more at home in Charming in my whole life."

Audrey responded warmly, I'm happy for you. So you've worked it all out?"

She hesitated before she answered. "No, not really. But now I'm committed to making it work. He has given me all I asked for so now I'm trying to understand and accept his commitment to the club. He shared with me his goals for the future, and I am going to do what I can to help him meet those goals-even if it is just with my support."

"That's very grown up of you." Audrey teased. "It must have been one hell of a conversation."

"It was" Tara nods her head in agreement. "It gave me hope for the future. The possibility for Jax and I to make a real go of it. While I till don't know how I feel about everything club related, Jax being open with me about it, trusting me, has given me new insight into the man I love. It helped me to understand his reasoning."

"Wow, you were busy while I was home. I'm glad you were able to tell Jax what was bothering you." Audrey

"I still have anxieties but I don't have as much insecurity. I know that Jax and I are a team." Tara shares before changing direction. "So what about you? How are you and Happy doing?"

Audrey let out a satisfied grin. "We've been…catching up."

Tara grins back at her friends innuendo. "I just bet you were. After seeing the frustration on your faces after being denied car hood sex, I get the feeling I know exactly what you've been doing."

"Yeah, pretty much. He's making more time for me than I thought he would though, which is nice."

"I'm not surprised, not after watching the two of you together. You were very in tune with each other, within hours of your first meeting." Changing the subject, Tara continued. "Has Happy talked to you any more about the club? Have you asked him?"

"We did talk enough for me to know that he keeps it separate from our relationship. But I already knew that."

Tara, after her recent experiences, offered Audrey some advice. "Do you think maybe, you should talk to him and tell him you need to know more?"

"No I really don't" Audrey replied with quiet conviction. "I really don't need to know, do I? Unless it directly affects me, and I made that clear to Happy."

"But you have a right to know more, if you are going to be involved in his life."

"Tara, I am so glad that you and Jax were able to come to an understanding. But so have Hap and I. We just have a different approach. He and I have been very self contained individuals for our entire lives. It's an adjustment just to share a life with someone, let alone sharing all of our secrets. There are parts of me that I have never and will never share with anybody. How can I insist that Happy give me something that I'm not willing to reciprocate? We seem to be doing fine, easing are way into this relationship and I'm sure it will work out how it is suppose to. Hap will tell me what I need to know and the rest will come if and when he's ready." 

Tara hesitated, not sure how to continue but she needed to make her point. "Look, I really like you and I like you and Happy together. So please bear with me as I fumble with what I need to say."

Deciding on an approach Tara continued. "I don't think you have the full picture on the club. First of all, the club and club business are to separate things. As Haps old lady you are going to be expected to participate in club functions, and to a certain extent, follow club rules. There's an etiquette to learn, it's important. It will be important to Happy that you learn it. You're also going to have to learn to get along with Gemma. She is the Queen in this story, and she's not about to let you forget it. Her role is vital to the club."

I already met Gemma, and she's already decided not to like me."

Tara smiled at that unsurprising news. "I never thought I'd hear myself say this but cut Gemma some slack. She's had it rough lately. We talk now. It's slow going but I'm learning to understand her better. You will prove yourself to her someday and all this will pass. Ah-ah-ah! hold on" Tara stops the protest on Audrey's lips. "I'm not saying it's your responsibility to prove anything. What I meant was that someday Gemma will see you do something, or you will say something that will prove to her you are worthy of being Happy's old lady."

"That's the second time you've called me that, I'm not Hap's old lady. I just got here for fucks sake!" Audrey argued.

Tara dismissed Audrey's continued protests. "Deny all you want. But that's what the club looks at you as. In doing so, they are acknowledging your importance in Happy's life. You may not be there officially yet, but Jesus Christ Audrey, you move across the entire country for the man. Of course you are his old lady!"

Audrey wasn't done challenging Tara's point of view. "Tara, I appreciate the insight, I do. And I know I don't know a lot yet, but right now? I've only been here a week, and I have a lot of work to do. I have to concentrate on the job that allowed me to move out here in the first place. Happy will include me when he's ready. It will be fine. Thank you for being my friend though." Audrey added sincerely at the end.

Tara felt Audrey was being naïve, but this time held her tongue, opting to support her friend with silence this time.

The two woman chose to change topic completely and share a pot of tea before Tara took her leave. Saying goodbye at the door, Tara impulsively hugs Audrey quickly. "I wasn't trying to give you a heard time earlier, I just wanted to help."

Audrey hugged her back. "I know. And you did. You gave me a different perspective to consider. Your thoughts are always welcome. I'll talk to you soon."

As Tara pulled out of the drive, she hoped some of what she said sunk in with Audrey. Staying on Gemma's bad side was never a good idea.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Happy slouches back in the overstuffed chair at Audrey's place, her latest charge making a home on his chest. He touched his finger to the kitten's pink nose, and he responded with a mew before trying to suckle the tip, his front paws wrapped around Hap's knuckle to hold the finger in place. Getting no satisfaction the little one close his eyes for another brief nap.

Audrey, coming in form the kitchen says, "That was Jenny, everything is fine back home. She's all moved in…" Audrey stops as she takes in the scenes before her. Her heart melts a little bit at their cuteness but she wouldn't say so. It might disrupt the love fest going on before her eyes. Hap really does like cats. Her adore for Happy deepened, as her heart swelled with something she wasn't ready to name. "So what do you think of the furball here?"

"I think he's gonna be a badass in a week or so, once he gets his legs under him. I've never seen a kitten this small before."

"Yeah, he's too little to be adopted yet; he still needs a lot of hands on care. He'll be completely weaned in a few weeks, and ready for a new home in about 4-6 weeks."

"You're not going to keep him?" Hap asked, a surprised tone in his voice.

"Why, did you want to keep him? Because of course we can, but I can't keep them all. It's the first lesson to learn in this business." Audrey said gently.

Hap denied, as he stroked the kittens head with his finger. "I can't be responsible for a kitten, I'm never sure when I'll be around."

Audrey saw something in Hap as he sat there, she wasn't quite sure what it was. She offered "Hap you're here more nights than not. It's not a hardship for me. Think about it. You have time." She kissed his scruffy head, running her hand over it before returning to the kitchen.

Happy thought about what Audrey said as he stroked under the kittens chin. The baby was having none of it and was trying to bite Happy's finger again. She was right, he was here more than not. The club had not had a run since before Audrey moved here, and with the exception of the overnight at his mom's, he'd been in her bed every night. He would have thought that knowledge would have bothered him, but it didn't. He liked what was happening, it was new but he wasn't afraid of it. Fear was for pussies. He'd been working in the shop during the day, maybe have a few beers after work, then he'd leave the boy's to their porn. Empty sex was easy and fun, but it didn't compare to the way his woman made him feel. Hap understood more about the changes in Jax lately. Happy recalled many times while Jax was with Wendy, Jax had subscribed to the 'what happens on the road stayed on the road' theory, but since he'd gotten with the Doc, the VP partied but stayed away from random hookups and skank sex.

Palming the kitten to his chest Happy carried him into the kitchen laying him gently on the warming bed on the floor. He washed his hands at the sink, while looking to see what Audrey was making for dinner. Meatloaf, sweet potato fries, and green beans. He knew about the apple pie, he smelled that fucker as soon as he pulled into the drive. Hap watched as Audrey kneaded the meat, spices, egg and bread. She didn't use breadcrumbs like he was use to, she used ripped up chunks of stale bread instead. Hap found domestic Audrey sexy as hell. She cooked homestyle, and it was good. As Audrey formed the meatloaf, Hap came up behind her and pressing his body against her back, wedging her between him and the counter. He leaned forward and whispered "Thank you" in her ear before placing a kiss on the side of her neck.

He felt her melt into him a little before she questioned his thanks. The clarified in his less-is-more Happy way, "For the offer."

Audrey smiled at his words. "Anything for you, Hap. But don't feel pressured. I saw a look on your face while you were playing with him earlier that made me suggest keeping him."

Happy turned her around to face him, kissing her lips possessively before asking, "What look do you see on my face now?"

Audrey pulled back slightly from their embrace, a look of contemplation on her face at this suggestive question. Braking away from Hap, she grabs the meatloaf and puts it in the oven. She turns back to face him and unleashes a sexy smile, her eyes shining with mischief. "I see your I-want-you-so-bad-I'm-going-to-fuck-you-hard-over-this-counter-without-foreplay-then-want-my-dinner look. How close am I?" 

Happy's eyes darken and his blood rushed to his groin. He cups the back of her neck and pulls her against him, where she belongs, and greedily plunders her lips. He feels her hands already moving, pulling at his shirt. He releases her just enough to let her get his shirt over his head and then hers before pulling her back into him. Her legs come around his waist as she sits on the counter holding him as she grinds against his growing cock. He hears her breathing become shallower as she moves against him. His hands are cupping her breasts and he runs his thumb's over her nipples, while his lips tease hers, but leave her wanting. She breaks the kiss with a cry and her fingers dig into his shoulders as her body reaches its first release, her pants still on. He holds her to him, hands on her ass holding her a he grinds himself a few more times, to which she responds with a limp body and a whimper.

As Audrey recovers slowly from her Happy induced orgasm, Happy kisses a burning path down her neck waiting for her to recover so he can strip her naked and fuck her back into a euphoric state. As he reaches for the button on her jeans, Audrey comes back to life, pushing his hand away and reaching for his button fly as she slides off the counter. She angles them so Happy in now leaning against the counter, as she takes control of the situation. "I don't think I'm going to allow you to stop me this time." Her fingers reached the last fastener and she slid her hands into the waistband of his pants, her warm hand caresses his length before releasing it from the confines of his clothes. Her hands travel over his hips and down over his firm ass pulling him away from the counter as she did so to allow his pants fall to his ankles, before pushing him back in place.

Happy tries to stop her again, his need to be inside of her great, but again Audrey stops his attempt. She soothes his frustration with a few whispers words. "Consider this the appetizer; we have plenty of time for dessert." She followed up her words by dropping to her knees and taking his cock in her hands. Audrey takes her time and teases Hap with her hands and mouth, taking his balls in her hand and giving a small squeeze, and licking the precum off his tip before taking his cock in her mouth. As Audrey finds a slow moving rhythm, she responds to Happy's murmurs of pleasure. Those murmurs turned to a hiss of excitement as Audrey relaxes her throat to take him all the way in her mouth, his cock hammering into her as her throat constricts around him. Audrey's fingers, which have been caressing his balls, make a slow trail up the crack of his ass, and her index finger finds his sweet spot. She fingers his asshole just a little, just enough to cause Hap to cry out in pleasure as he reaches completion in Audrey's mouth, her throat still squeezing his throbbing cock. Slowly she pulls back, releasing him from her throat first holding him in her mouth for another moment before letting him go. Hap reaches for her and pulls her to her feet, kissing her wondrous lips and caressing her talented tongue with his own.

Happy wants her again, his dick is hard already, but he is denied as Audrey playfully pushes him away with a silent promise of more later. He lets her continue with dinner but stands behind her as she works, teasing her with his nearness. His hands are on her hips, her waist, her shoulders making it difficult for her to work but she didn't deny herself the pleasure of his closeness, stealing a kiss or two a she steamed the green beans. When the pace kicked up in the kitchen, Hap finally let her go, and walked over to the fridge to get a beer for himself and poured Audrey a glass of milk. He smiled at the fact that she drank milk every day with dinner. He'd asked about it before and she said it was a holdover from growing up on a dairy farm. He found it kind of cute.

As they sat down to dinner, Happy thought about the conversation that were having before they got distracted. The kitten had stirred up memories in him, and he took a few minutes to sort through them before speaking.

"You know, my mother always had a cat, even before she had me. Her first cat lived until I was fifteen. He was a good friend. The next cat didn't like me as much as the first but she did love my mother. It was at time when I was pulling away, staying out more, getting into trouble, riding a lot. I respected that cat because she offered comfort to my mother, on those long stints when she didn't hear from me. The cat she has now is a lazy male cat. I enjoy his company when I go to see my mom. He will jump in my lap and demand attention and somehow he makes it easier to deal with the reality hitting me in the face every time I visit."

Caught unaware at his revelation, Audrey's heart constricted at the underlying sadness in his voice. He rarely voiced is feelings; he'd spoken of his mother before of course but had never shared his feelings about her illness. Audrey considered how to respond and, as usual when it came to Happy, chose to lead with her heart.

"You know, I'm going to be going to Bakersfield in a few weeks to see a shelter operation. I'd like to take the time to stop in and see your mother. Would that be something you'd be ok with? It's ok to say no and tell me to mind my own business, I won't be offended."

Hap considered what she asked but was unsure how he wanted to answer. Before he could , Audrey interrupted his thoughts.

"I just thought that maybe you're mom would like to know that there is some else out there who cares for her son. And I'd be interested in meeting your mother. We could talk, one cat lover to another."

Happy just looked at her, amazed that once again she convinced him to do something with her simple logic and honesty. She had a way of selling him on her ideas. She was good at it too. And she was right; his mother would want to meet her. It was actually a very thoughtful idea, and Happy found himself drawn closer by her thoughtfulness. "I'll ask her about it next week. She does know about you. When she got sick, even before then really, she would always ask if I'd met someone. My answer would always be the same, and she'd try to hide her disappointment. You should have seen her face the last time I visited" Hap recalled with a smile "She asked the question and for the first time got the answer she'd been waiting for. Or close enough to make her happy. Christ, if I told her you were pregnant, she'd be over the moon."

Audrey choked on her milk at that revelation. She and Happy had never discussed children, and she was ok with that. Hap looked up at Audrey's sudden cough and smirked. "Relax Legs; that was a comment, not a suggestion."

Audrey recovered quickly. "Well I do have a suggestion if you're interested." Without waiting for a response, Audrey got up from her chair and started walking towards the bedroom. At the bottom of the stairs she turned back around to get Happy to follow only to find him right behind her. He pinched her ass and propelled her up the stairs: Hap was more than ready for dessert.

_It was nothing really, a harmless little encounter that was quickly forgotten. _Those were her words. The words she spoke when he confronted her 10 minutes ago. The time stretched out now as angry silence took over the house.

_I can't believe after the warnings I gave her, she totally defied my request. No big deal she says? What the fuck? Does she even listen when I talk?_

_I can't believe he's pissed at me for this. It's not my fault. It's not like the guy wears a nametag on his designer suit that say's Cigar Salesman/White Supremacist._

_Why is she pissed at me for being pissed. I have a right to be fucking pissed._

They continued to glare at each other from across the room; neither comfortable with the awkwardness between them. Seeing the fire in her eyes, Happy sighed and tried another approach.

I thought you would pick up a bad guy vibe from him and stay away."

"Hap it doesn't work like that. I'm not clairvoyant; I have the ability to make accurate assessments after I've met someone briefly. And yes, you are right; once I spoke with him, it didn't take me long to know he wasn't genuine. But I couldn't know that until the conversation happened! It was a public place, the coffee shop had no free tables and he asked to have a seat. I extricated myself as soon as I could. Besides, I let him know I was not interested, in him or his religion-its over and done. No harm, no foul. Why are you making this into something more than it has to be?"

"I'm not overreacting; you are not giving this enough credence. This guy was interested in something or he would never have approached you. He's got an angle."

"Well I wouldn't have a clue what that could be" Audrey stated flatly, attempting unsuccessfully to hold her anger in check as she headed out, the back door slamming behind her.

Happy jumped on his bike feeling less than pleased about this situation. To have Bobby come to him and tell him his woman was having coffee with the very man he warned her against was not something he was prepared for. What the fuck? The club didn't need any more turmoil. White Hate, Jax and Clay, the Feds, and the porn business problems, were all putting a strain on the Club. Now the woman he chose to be with did not respect him enough to honor his request and a brother had to point out her behavior? It was humiliating and it pissed him off.

He enters the clubhouse intent on going right to his room, when he spotted Jax alone at the bar. Happy changed direction and headed for the VP, grabbing a beer from behind the bar before settling down on the stool next to Jax.

Jax looks over at his friend noting the underlying anger in his demeanor. "Did you talk to her about it?"

"Some. Not really, she's too fired up right now to listen. I didn't handle it very well. I yelled first and asked questions later. That went over like a big bag of shit."

"Ouch Brother, consider that a lesson learned. Does she not get it? She seemed pretty savvy to me when I met her."

"I don't know what she understands any more. I warned her away, she should have listened. She said that he was just a stranger in the coffee shop who asked to sit at her table. She didn't know who he was so I can't really blame her for that. But her attitude after really pissed me the fuck off. Why am I making a big deal about this she asked. Well how am I supposed to react when she dismisses my warning like they didn't matter! Fucking bullshit."

Jax listened to Hap's rant, picking through the confusion and anger to get at the problem. "So what you are basically telling me is that you confronted her over something that turned out not to be her fault, and now she's pissed at you and rejecting your authority."

Hap did not respond so Jax continued. "How much did you tell her about the situation? Did you let her know how much of a threat Zobelle is? How about Weston?"

"I told her they were White Hate and to avoid them because they were bad news."

Jax thought about how to broach this with an already angry Hap. "Brother, it seems to me that you need to explain a little more to her. She is an independent woman who is use to making her own decisions. But if you don't tell her the reason you are asking her to submit to your wishes, why would you think she would understand the seriousness of the situation? She's a smart woman, Hap. Open up to her so she can protect herself."

"If she'd just listen to me then I would be protecting her."

"It doesn't work that way anymore Hap. Times are changing. You are the one who chose a strong minded woman. If you want a her by your side then you need to trust her and tell her what's going on. If you do, she can support you, and she'll be informed so she can avoid complications like this in the future."

"We talked about my role in the club. She made it clear that she didn't need to know club business. I thought that was a good thing."

"It is, Brother, it is. But you have to have some disclosure at least. You are not always together, and if you don't give her the lay of the land, she could put herself right in the middle of some big bad scene. Do you trust her Hap?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Then tell her what she needs to know, and make peace with her for your own sanity."

Hap gave a slight nod of acceptance before moving on. "What about you Jax? How is your sanity holding up? You've got a lot on your mind lately."

"I do. I'm looking at the future for the club and I have concerns about our survival. The Feds have been in town twice in the same year breathing down our necks, our enemies moving into our town right under our noses, and soon enough, Unser will not be in a position to help the club. Where will that leave us? Like I said, times are changing and in order for the club to survive, we need to consider changing the way we do business. That was my point about the porn business. Besides helping Big Otto, we now own half of a legit business besides Teller Morrow. We need the Feds off our asses and that's not gonna happen if the bulk of our finances continue to come from dealing in weapons. It's something to consider."

"It seems like you've been considering it a lot lately."

"I've got a kid now, Hap. His mother took off after her stint in rehab, what will happen to Abel if I get sent to prison? Do I really want this life for my kid? Look at Ope; he's been a fucking mess since getting out, lost his wife, barely knows his kids. He needs the club but he also needs to find the balance. Don't get me wrong, this life is all I've ever wanted, still want, and we can continue to have it, with a few changes in direction. I'm sure of it."

"Jax, you are up against the old school way of thinking, the way we were taught. Change will not come easy. I don't sit at the table every week, but even I can see that Clay is not down with change. He is old school man. Are you ready to do battle with the old man?"

The VP thought about his words. He wanted Hap to accept his ideas without causing more dissention in the club. He knew Hap was planning of settling in Charming and would be a huge asset to SAMCRO's future if he could get Hap on board with his ideas. Jax needed Hap's voice at the table. "I need to fight for my future. I want this club to succeed past the next few years. That won't happen if we don't change our ways. The world is full of new resources and new opportunities; we need to take advantage of them. Zobelle is. We need to stay competitive."

"I agree with you there but you're not gonna get the support you need if you alienate half the club, Brother. You know as well as I do the rules of the club. Clay is the Pres and he calls the shots. If you don't respect Clay then you can't expect the club to respect you when you get to the top. Work the votes Jax but don't split the club, it will leave us vulnerable to attack. Just think about what is best for the entire club." Hap advised before standing up to leave.

Jax turned to watch Hap make his way to the back of the clubhouse. "You staying here tonight Hap?"

"Yeah, I think Audrey could use the space."

Jax stood as well. "Brother, you gave me some good advice tonight, now let me give you some. Go home to your old lady. She won't thank you for staying out all night, she'll just worry. Go home and be glad you have someone you love warming your bed. I know I am." Jax said as he makes his way out the door.

Happy was only seconds behind him.


	17. Chapter 17

Thanks again to all who read/alerted/reviewed my story so far. I appreciate your interest!

Chapter 17

Audrey clipped the lead on Goliaths collar and headed out for their daily extended walk. He was a lazy boy and, left to his own devices wouldn't get the exercise he need. So they had made it a morning routine. This morning, the moment they were out the door, Audrey's mind started rehashing the events of last evening.

At first she had been angry at Hap, she thought he knew her better; she thought he would know not to confront her like that. She felt ambushed and her crazy came out to play. She hated that side of herself. That's why she avoided confrontation in her personal life as much as she did. If her anger got the better of her, which it usually did, she tended to become irrational and just wants to flee. If the other person doesn't let her, she would lash out to make them go away. It's like a red haze settles around her brain and she loses all her common sense. It wasn't pleasant, and it always had repercussions. She recognized it for what it was, but she hadn't been able to fully contain it.

It was a big part of why she chose not to be in relationships; in the past, people had used this flaw against her. She'd come to find that they didn't always want in-control Audrey. If they got her to this point in anger then they could see the cracks in her armor. She figured it made them feel superior in some way, but to her, it was a violation. She never stuck around long enough afterwards to find out if her assumption was correct. It had just never mattered enough to try. She had been told that it was the only time she appeared human by one stupid prick. She kneed that asshole in the nuts before telling him to fuck off. She later blamed her rage, but the jerk totally deserved it.

But as with everything else, she had come to find Happy was a different story. He'd been pissed- not to make her get angry but because of his own feeling of betrayal. They'd talked about it last night after he'd returned.

She'd actually been surprised and very glad that he did come home. Subconsciously, Audrey had been waiting for Hap to disappoint her, and she had felt a wave of relief when she heard the jingle of the bells that hung on the door. He'd eventually made his way into their bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed, but neither of them had known what to say. Audrey heard the flick of a lighter, and could smell the familiar scent before Hap passed her the doob. They smoked in silence, letting the herb ease the tension in their minds, making way for conversation. Audrey told Hap of her fear of confrontation and why she felt so vulnerable during fights, and Hap apologized for assuming the worst without giving her a chance to explain.

It was one of those situations that neither were good at. In order to have complete trust, you have to expose your vulnerabilities to that other person, who you can only hope doesn't use it against you. Her rational mind said trust Happy with your secrets; he's the one, but her self conscious side screamed, protect yourself. Her rational side won out last night because Happy had proven something by coming home to her. So she told him her fears and he listened. He even exposed a few of his own in return.

Happy was the strongest man she had ever known, and last night she had found out that he had fears of his own to work through. Growth was painful, but she knew in her heart it would all be worth it. With that in mind, she led Goliath back to the house and began pulling ingredients out of the pantry. She needed to make a small gesture to Happy's friends and show herself as someone who is worthy of their brother. She would have to get to know them in order to make that happen. Audrey loved to bake and the cookies would be an ice breaker. It would open a door for conversation at least. Most people liked cinnamonny sugary, melt in your mouth buttery goodness. It wasn't much, but she figured it was a start. Settling the dough in the fridge to firm up, Audrey headed out on an errand.

Returning 40 minutes later, Audrey pulls up to the house to find Tara in her driveway. Surprised, Audrey gets out of the car to greet her friend only to get another surprise. "That look's not good for you Doc. Is it broken?" Audrey asked pointing at Tara's nose, as her friend's shoulders slump slightly.

Glaring at her friend, Tara responds. "Yes, and before you ask, it was an accident."

"And who caused this accident?" 

"Gemma. But really it was an honest to god accident"

"I don't think anything that woman does is by accident. But maybe that's just me; we really did get off on the wrong foot. Come with me out back so I can release my new babies." Audrey says as she opens the jeep door and removes a cardboard carrier box.

Tara follows after Audrey full of questions. "Babies? Baby what? What did you get now?"

"They're Guinea Hens!" Seeing Tara's puzzled look, Audrey continued. "They eat tics and other bugs, which is why I want them. See, you have to buy them at one day old, and you train them to where home is; similar to homing pigeons. Guinea Hens will roost on the property and that will be their home base. They are pretty much maintenance free once they are fully grown; you only have to supplement their feeding once a day, provide a water source, and keep their house clean. Hap's building me a hen house on the side of the barn. Until they are old enough, I have this coop for the babies, they need to be under a heat lamp for a few weeks then they can free range. They're kinda cool. They just walk around eating bugs, although they are pretty loud when they roost at night. It's like a big flurry of activity right before they settle down. You get use to it though. I've missed it actually since I've been here."

Tara laughs fascinated by the little chicks Audrey is pulling one at a time out of the box and into a holding pen. "You know every time we get together, I learn something new from you. You, my friend, are expanding my horizons."

Adjusting the heat lamp and putting out feed and a shallow water dish, Audrey calls out "It's one of the perils of my job. I spend so much of my time trying to educate people about animals and animal rights that sometimes I can get lecturey. But thank you for the compliment. And thank you for being here for me teaching me the ropes, so to speak. Apparently, I'm a little slow on the uptake."

"Yeah, I heard a little something about that."

"Are you serious? These guys flap their yaps more that any woman I've ever known, Christ."

Tara laughs at Audrey's complaints and they watch the keets move in a huddle around their new digs before Audrey closes the lid of the temporary enclosure so they can settle down. The two women head back up to the house.

They enter the kitchen and Audrey washes her hands thoroughly and removes her outer shirt before offering to put on water for tea. Tara declined. "I can't stay, I'm headed in for my shift, but I wanted to stop and make sure you were ok with everything."

"I will be. We will be. I just need to try harder. I'm just so busy; I've only been back a few weeks, and I've barely started on the new job. But I will try. As a matter of fact I have cookie dough chilling in the fridge. I'm going to bake up some snickerdoodles and drop them by the garage after lunch. I'll make another attempt with Gemma too while I'm there."

"I know you don't quite believe me but, really, just give her time. She will accept you, if for no other reason than you make Happy happy. This club is hers as much as any of the men. She may not be a member but she is the foundation that holds them up. She is protecting them all. You two are alike in that you stand up for what you believe in. Just give it time, it'll work out."

"I'm sure it will. She just got my back up within 30 seconds of meeting her. It's hard to set that aside, and willingly stick my head in the tigers mouth, so to speak."

Tara hides a grin behind her hand and agrees, "so to speak." Tara laughs outright as she gets up. "I gotta go to work, that administrator is all over my ass, so I don't want to be late." She says waving goodbye to her friend as she heads out the door.

Later that day, Audrey drove away from the garage satisfied that she was at least semi successful in her attempt to get to know some of the club members. Gemma was not at the garage when she visited, but Audrey did get to meet Clay for the first time. Audrey characterized him as a big man, with a big presence. There was nothing subtle about Clay; his height, his deep voice, his sarcastic manner. He turned on the charm when they were introduced, surely to get on Hap's last nerve, which actually amused her a little, if she was honest. Clay had taken her by the arm and introduced her to the men who were working in the shop, some of whom she'd met before. She didn't mind at all, since her meeting with almost anyone was minimal at best, with the exception of Jax and Juice. She'd had an opportunity to engage Tig in conversation, which was an interesting experience. He more than anyone seems to get the biggest kick from making Happy uncomfortable, so she kept it friendly but chose not to flirt back regardless of his outrageous attempts to engage her. She saw the twinkle in his eye, and felt a competitive vibe between him and Hap. Interesting.

She laughed when Bobby started lecturing her on the benefits of organic ingredients, after she admitted to using bleached all purpose flour. Chibs came to her defense, as he ate his third cookie, proclaiming that they melt in his mouth. He gave her a kiss on the cheek as a thank you and got back to work. Opie quietly thanked her for the cookies and took his to go as he headed back to the garage bays. Piney called her darlin' when he thanked her, putting an arm around her shoulders and Audrey found him to be an adorably dirty ol' dog. He reminded her of a favorite uncle back home. Juice wanted to know why she had not baked for them before, as he grabbed a handful from the container. She appreciated their lighthearted joking manner; it made her feel good that they enjoyed her offering. Her family had always shown their caring side through baked goods. It was a Mason family tradition and she was keeping it going strong.

Audrey glanced at the clock on the dashboard and realized she only had about 15 minutes until Tristan arrived at the house. They'd been working together for two weeks now, and Audrey planned on introducing the girl to the Guinea Hens today. Sure they were outside the realm of companion pets but with the exception of the kitten and Goliath, Tristan had not gotten much hands on work yet. Audrey thought the girl might be interested.

And she was. Tristan had just arrived on her bicycle as Audrey pulled into the drive. She was smiling, Audrey could tell she was looking forward to seeing the kitten. Just as they were greeting each other Audrey's cell rings. Audrey heads into the house waving Tristan in as she speaks on the phone. Grabbing the magnetic pad off the fridge, she jots down some information as she hangs up. Audrey looks over at Tristan, feeing guilty that she will have to disappoint the girl. "Tristan, that was a call from the shelter up in Lodi. They asked me to come pick up a dog for the program. Unfortunately, they need me to do that now."

The teen got excited at eh prospect "Can I come with you? I've never been to a shelter before."

Once again, Audrey had to disappoint the girl. "No, I'm sorry Tristan. As much as I would love your company, it's a safety issue. I've never worked with this shelter before; this dog may be totally inappropriate for training, but I won't know til I get there. They say it is an abuse case, and that could be dangerous for you. But, I'll make you a counter offer. Let's explain this to your dad, and since I can't stay today we can have you come over tomorrow. I'll have a better handle on the dog's personality by then, if I even get her. Are you free tomorrow instead of today?"

"Yes, choir isn't until Thursday, so I think it will be ok. I can't wait to get more animals here." 

"Me too. Before we leave though I want to check on the new keets I got today, do you want to see them?"

Audrey showed her the keet's, and gave her a quick lesson about their immediate care, just in case Tristan needed to help with them. They put Tristan's bike in the back of the Jeep and she dropped her at home on her way to Lodi.

Finding the shelter with minimal problems, Audrey parked the jeep and made her way inside. She hated the smell that assaulted her nose every time she entered a shelter, but knew the disinfectant was necessary when dealing with so many animals. She introduced herself at the desk and the manager who'd called Audrey came out to greet her. Introducing herself as Margie, she spoke about the shelter and what services they were able to provide. Unfortunately, they were not a no kill shelter which is why Audrey was called in on this case. Their protocol for fight dogs was not to attempt to retrain them; they were euthanized immediately.

"So why call me on this case" Audrey asked, concerned about the state of the dog they were trying to get her to leave with.

"Well, Dolly was used as a bait dog, not a fighter, she's too small for that and not the right breed. Come on, let me show you." Margie led the way past many cages filled with cats, then dogs, before reaching the back of the holding area. Red tags hung on more than a few cages, and Audrey tried to ignore them, reminding herself that some can not be saved. Margie stopped in front of a cage holding a single medium sized dog.

Audrey noted the dog was young, not fully grown herself. She was a smaller frame black dog with a white underbelly and feet peppered with black. A black lab mix, maybe beagle or spaniel. Audrey squatted down near the cage and spoke gently to the dog. The pup immediately responded to her voice, her body cautious but her slight tail wag signaling the hope still within the dog. After meeting Dolly, Audrey understood why they called her. Audrey could see where the dogs snout was hairless, the skin there mostly healed but still raw. There were other visible scars in various stages of healing, but the dogs spirit shown through her battered body. It was a miracle she'd even survived, most bait dogs didn't. Audrey asked Margie about that.

"Our best guess is they realized she was pregnant, and took her out of rotation. Once she gave birth she could sustain the pups on her own long enough that they would be ready to be bait themselves, which is the other reason for the rescue. I'm hoping that it won't be a problem."

"Is it a confirmed pregnancy?"

"She's not been looked at by a vet. The general rule is for euthanasia, so I'd rather she be taken before the vet gets here. Her temperament has been good the short time she's been here. I really do think she can be saved."

"Of course she can" Audrey replied, her voice filled with confidence. "Let me take her off your hands." Audrey filled out some paperwork and led the dog out to the jeep. She lifted her into the cage Audrey had put in the back if the jeep for transport before getting behind the wheel. As soon as she got in the jeep, Audrey started a steady stream of conversation so Dolly could hear her voice. Outside the city limit, Audrey dialed Doc Varney and made arrangements to bring the dog right in. Soon after hanging up her phone rang again.

"_Hey Beautiful"_

Audrey smiled into the phone, the rough timbre of his sexy voice went straight to her doodah, her mind filling with dirty thoughts for just a moment.

Hap chuckled into the phone _"You still with me Legs?"_

"umhmm"

"_Well let me see if I can't snap you back into reality. Gemma invited us to dinner tonight. Can you ready for 7?"_

Audrey sobered up at that request. "Hap, I can't tonight. I'm just leaving Lodi now; I just picked up a rescue. She needs to go to the vet, and then I have to get her set up at home. There's no way I can leave tonight. I'm sorry Hap." Audrey adds, the apology clear in her tone.

"_I understand. But Gemma's going to be…disappointed."_

"And I would go, believe me, I don't want an adversarial relationship with Gemma. It just can't happen tonight. Do you want me to call her and explain?"

"_No I'll take care of it. You go do what you have to and I'll see you later tonight."_

"I'll look forward to it."

"_mmm…Me too"_

Audrey smiled at the suggestive timbre in Hap's lat statement. They were still enjoying the 'honeymoon' phase of their relationship; all sex all the time. She hoped it never stopped, she was having the best time of her life with this complicated man.

Her mind turned back to her newest acquisition; a pregnant dog with an abuse history and undetermined behavioral issues. Audrey started making a plan in her head. She needed a timeline for the pregnancy so she can prepare. If she was far enough along for the shelter to figure out she's pregnant, she's already past he time that Audrey could introduce her into the home. She would have to keep Dolly separated from Goliath until after the birth.

Arriving at the Vet, Audrey greeted Doc Varney and thanked him for getting her in on such short notice.

'It's not a problem, my dear. Let's see what we have here." Audrey had lifted Dolly onto the metal table. At the Doc's approach the dog leaned her body into Audrey shrinking back from the Vet with a small whimper. He carefully palpated the dog's abdomen, and confirmed the pregnancy. "She's frightened and pregnant, we'd best leave that muzzle on her for now, although I'd like to get a better look at her snout. Let's just confirm the pregnancy for today and leave the more stressful exam for later. No need to distress her any more than she is. Is this fear new? Did she react this way when you got her?"

"No, she didn't but, I'm thinking it may be men that she'd afraid of. I only observed her with women at the shelter."

"That is a good possibility. You'll have to watch for that, make it a training issue. Now let's get that x ray and see exactly what we are dealing with. Audrey took the place of the vet tech for the x ray to keep Dolly still. Doc Varney came back with the x ray in hand. "And we have puppies, he said as he hung the x ray on the lightbox so Audrey could see. "I'm counting 5 here. The pups are 6 to 7 weeks along which means no contact with your other animals for the rest of the pregnancy and at least 3 weeks beyond. Her feed needs to be increased three fold; she is under weight for this stage in pregnancy. Supplement her with puppy food for the nutritional value. We have no way of knowing if she's been immunized for anything but I can safely give her a wormer right now. Prepare yourself my dear; this case is going to be a lot of work and it may not have a happy ending."

"All I can do is try my best Doc. We shall see what happens."

Audrey left the Vet's office and headed home. It was evening now and darkness had fallen. Audrey got Dolly out of the jeep and into a holding pen in the barn for now. She checked on the keets then when to the house to let Goliath out in the yard and checked on Peanut before heading back out to the barn. Entering the pen, she continued to speak to the dog when getting her food and water, letting Dolly adjust to her presence. Audrey approached the dog and removed the muzzle getting out of the way of the hungry dog.

Making room on a hay bale Audrey sat down heavily. It had been a long day, after a long night and she was tired. Dolly seemed content after her evening meal and she curled up to take a nap. Audrey shut her eyes for just a second…

Happy pulled into the drive around 9:30. He entered the house to a single mewl for a greeting. He leaned down and picked up the kitten giving him some attention before heading to the back door and letting Goliath in. Opening the Door, Goliath pushed his way in, and Hap noticed the lights still on in the barn. He set the kitten back in his bed and gave both animals fresh water before heading out back. He was alerted to the presence of the new boarder by a sudden movement and a low growl. He noticed Audrey on the other side of the pen sitting with her back against a hay bale, slowly coming out of her sleep stupor, and walked over to her. Hap smiled at her disorientation; he rarely got to see her in this state. She mumbled a couple of thoughts before becoming aware of her surroundings.

"I guess I fell asleep." Audrey states unnecessarily.

Hap decides to cut her a break and let her wake up slowly. "I guess you did."

"This is Dolly. Don't take her greeting personally; I think she has a problem with men." Audrey told him as she gets up and enters the pen to sooth the timid mother to be. "Maybe you could help me work through that with her."

"Ok. But right now, I think you need to get to bed; the dog will be fine until morning."

Audrey looked like she was going to protest, but when Hap held his hand out to her, she took it and they headed to the house. He felt her lay her head on his shoulder halfway to their destination.

"So, how was dinner?" Audrey asked.

Realizing she was in no shape to hear about the rash of shit he had a feeling was coming her way, Hap chose not to mention Gemma's obvious attitude towards Audrey's lack of attendance. "It was tense, but the food was good. We can talk about it tomorrow; right now, let's got you to bed, sleepy girl."

"Okay."

Hap steered Audrey up the stairs and into the bathroom. When she returned he undressed her and tucked her in. He debated going down stairs for a while but chose instead to undress and climb in beside her. He held her body close to his, and just enjoyed the feeling of her body molded to his. She smelled like hay, but also like Audrey was his last thought before drifting off, joining Audrey in sleep.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N Just a reminder, my timeline is a murky Season 2. I tried to stay within the storyline of Season 2 as best I could while making room for my OC. Again, thanks to all who continue to read, alert, and/or comment.

Chapter 18

Audrey was up early having slept so well the night before. She put the coffee on and took Goliath on his walk. When she returned she found Happy pouring himself a cup. She took a moment to admire him from behind, standing there in nothing but his boxers. He was lean and hard, and she loved his body. She watched as he reached for another cup and poured one for her. She walked up behind him and snuck an arm around his waist holding him to her from behind. Planting a kiss on the back of his neck, she whispered good morning and smiled to herself as she watched goosebumps form where her lips met his skin.

Audrey added cream and sugar to her cup before heading to the table to sit down. Hap followed and the two enjoyed the morning silence along with their first cup of coffee.

Audrey was the first one to speak. "So how was dinner last night?"

"You asked me that last night." Hap replied, not answering her question. He loved pressing her buttons.

"I was mostly asleep and have absolutely no recollection of that conversation."

"That's too bad"

"Hap!" Audrey's voice rises in playful exasperation. She knows he's teasing, but that doesn't mean she doesn't want an answer.

"Dinner was good, Gemma made a roast beef." Hap answered. She was gonna have to work for it.

"And?" Aurey prompted, this time with hand gestures.

"Jax and Tara were there."

"So, what did you all talk about?" Her interrogation continued.

"Not much. Things are tense between Jax and Clay. Conversation was limited to direct questions or Tara and Gemma."

"It sounds awkward." Audrey was now fidgeting.

"Yep."

"You are exasperating, you know that?"

"Yep"

"So just tell me what she said about me. Was she pissed I couldn't make it?"

Hap sensed her need for this answer so he stopped the game. "Besides refusing to mention you by your correct name, and a few comments about not understanding why you couldn't make the time, she didn't really talk about you." That was mostly the truth. "You've got a real champion in Tara though; she defended your honor."

Audrey decided to give back a little, eyebrow raised he demanded. "And what did you do?"

"I stayed out of it."

"Oh really, you decided to sit back and let Tara do the dirty work."

"Yeah, pretty much."

The penetrating glare in those beautiful blue eyes made Hap realize he'd lost this one; he was gonna have to talk. He lays his left hand over her right one and takes a sip of coffee before speaking. "Look Audrey, I'm not going to open up my personal life for dinner table discussion. Or any other type of discussion. So I ignore and it goes away. Gemma knows not to antagonize me. I'm not one of these mamma's boys that treat her like a surrogate. I like her and I respect her and her place in the club, but she is not my confidant. If it had gotten ugly I would have straightened her ass out but she was just a little bitchy. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Audrey nodded and smiled a little to let him know she wasn't mad. It was gender bias and she didn't have to agree with it, but she did have to accept it was the way of the MC. "I'll talk to her. And maybe next week I can do dinner to make it up. I really do want to get along with her Hap, it's just harder than I would have thought."

Hap leaned forward and kissed her temple before offering up an opinion. "I know you can work it out. I'm sure you two can get past this. Gemma's usually a no bullshit kind of woman, like you. She's strong, like you; opinionated, like you. You both think bikers are hot" Hap smirks and grabs her hand avoiding the slap to his arm, holding her hand in place. "All the guys like you so I don't understand what Gemma's problem is."

"Oh Please! All the guys like porn too, I can't see how that's made Gemma like that any better." Audrey countered.

Choosing to ignore her small outburst, Hap continued. "It can't all be about you, you haven't done anything. But there's definitely a bug up her ass, so you have to be the reasonable one. I'm sure you can make her see reason, a smart, soft hearted woman like yourself." He leans over and kisses her lips this time.

Pulling back from his lips, Audrey asks with feigned annoyance, "Are you sweet talking me, Hap? I feel like I'm being played."

"Do you wanna get played? Because I have time before work." Hap closed the gap between them, his eyes all dark and sexy working their magic on Audrey, as his fingers make their way around her waist

She pushes him back, playfully. "Liar. You're opening today, so you'll be late if you don't move your ass."

"I'm pretty sure this would be worth being late for."

Audrey gives his ass a little squeeze.

"I'm sure it would be, but get out. I've got a pregnant bitch to tend to."

Hap frowned in puzzlement.

"The new rescue is pregnant. She'll drop five pups in two or three weeks."

"You don't believe in easing your way into things do you?" Hap teases his girl.

"Well, I jumped right in with you and look where I landed." Audrey countered dropping her voice an octave and giving Hap a sexy smile.

Hap pulls Audrey into his embrace once again, holding their bodies together. "Oh I definitely think I need to be late this morning."

He kissed the no right out of her, as he lifted her up guiding her legs around his waist, and carried her back to their bedroom.

Sure Hap was late for work but a least his mood was better to deal with a few irate customers who had to wait and extra ten minutes to drop their vehicles off. He didn't really give a shit. As soon as the early drop off's were done, he got to work. He enjoyed the mostly empty early morning garage, it was quiet, at least there wasn't any talking, just the clank of a tool, or the quick blast of an air compressor. It was only him and Bear this early. Hap let his mind drive itself as he performed the tasks that he now he could do in his sleep. He thought again about the tension between Clay and Jax. He'd been around enough to know this shit wasn't normal; there was real animosity there. He'd heard grumbling around the clubhouse from others, mostly Bobby and Ope, but everyone was talkin. Mostly they were concerned about the future of the club. It was coming close to the point of choosing sides, and that wasn't good for any body. It also left Hap in a precarious position of needing to know his own will before joining SAMCRO full time. Hap considered himself old school, but he was smart enough to see that times were changing. His need to preserve this way of life for the long haul would win out in the end, whatever the solution.

His thoughts wandered to last night's dinner and what Gemma's problem was. She and Tara seemed closer now, maybe they were coming together to make peace between their men. Hap couldn't be sure. But that explanation didn't explain Gemma's irrational dislike of Audrey. What was that about? Gemma was being both defensive and confrontational about Audrey; acting like she did not trust her. That was ridiculous, Gemma knew Juice did a background check on Audrey, it was SOP.

He felt kind of guilty leaving it for Audrey to deal with on her own, but that is what needs to happen if she is going to survive living in the same town as Gemma, to survive the club life. He didn't like the anxiousness in Audrey's voice this morning. Hap knew she didn't want a confrontation with Gemma, but at this point is seemed unavoidable. Hap sighed heavily, knowing the two women would have to work it out, or he may lose his girl. As much as he'd like to think he could have a relationship outside the club, that wasn't going to happen with Audrey; she was already too important to him, already known to the club. But if she can't handle his life, they wouldn't survive.

Gemma was pissed. She'd been feeling a serious lack of control lately and as a result she had become more volatile than usual. She knew it, she just couldn't stop it. She wanted to make those men pay. Weston and Zoebelle. Fuckers. They needed to be dealt with but Gemma was afraid. She was never not in control of her shit. Now she was distracted and angry and distant. She didn't even want to think about sex, and the tension between she and Clay continued to build. If she told him the truth he would do something rash and end up in prison. Or worse. On top of that she needed to find out more about what was going on between Clay and Jax. There were a lot of fires to put out right now. She needed to keep it together. Punching Tara had been reaction to seeing the bitch that set her up. She knew Tara stood by her when Gemma needed her. Gemma also knew it was time to let go of the past and accept Tara as part of Jax's life. And maybe someday she could count her as a friend. In the meantime she would head out to what' her names place and finally see what this chicks deal was. Again, Gemma recognized the unreasonableness of her thoughts, yet could not let them go.

Gemma pulled into the driveway and saw Audrey and a younger girl, was that the Oswald girl? It was, Gemma thought as she made her way down the dirt path to the barn where they stood.

As Gemma approached, Tristan welcomed her with a smile and a warm greeting before taking her leave.

Gemma turned facing Audrey head on and asked, "So I've come to see what your excuse was for turning down a friendly family type dinner invitation. Don't you want to get to know us? Or are we not your type of folk?"

Audrey took a moment to get a handle on her temper before she responded in a calm voice. "Even after everything she's been through" Audrey nodded towards the house, indicating she was speaking about Tristan, "she opened herself up to my friendship, why can't you give me that same chance? I don't want to be your enemy, I never did."

"You casually mention her private life like you have the right to. Maybe the girl doesn't want her business known." Spat Gemma getting angry on Tristan's behalf.

"And I would agree with you, but Tristan mentioned you specifically. She told me how grateful she was to you for stepping in and helping her. So I knew that you were aware of what happened to her.

"She told you what happened to her? Why would she do that?"

"She comes here a few times a week to help with the animals. In fact she was so excited today because of the rescue we brought home yesterday. It's her first one. She did great. That girl's got a lot of love to give, and right now the safest place for her to express that love is here, with the animals. As she works with this new dog, the animal will come to know and trust her. I want her to feel that feeling when that happens."

"What feeling?" Gemma asks sharply, her stance rigid.

"The feeling you get helping a hurt, battered, and abused animal learn to trust again; knowing that you helped make that happen. Feeling that dog give you its unconditional love after being so badly treated by others, gives you hope. Hope that you can heal yourself."

"You sound like you know alot about this. What are you, some kinda shrink?" Gemma asks still guarded.

"No, just someone who needed help learning to trust. I'm still working on that."

Gemma shifted her weight to her other leg nervously. "Is it working for Tristan or is this healing suppose to happen in theory?"

"I see her positive responses and they make me hopeful for the future."

"Well aren't you all rainbows and puppies." The sarcasm was back.

'No Gemma, I'm just somebody that wants to get along. I'm not interested in your alpha female role here, if that's what you are worried about. I just want to be with Happy."

"Sure you do, until the first time you catch him getting a blow job from one of those porn queens that are always sniffing around."

Audrey was barely containing her anger now. Gemma certainly knew what buttons to push.

Gemma notices and continues her verbal attack. "That bother you, does it?" Gemma smirked at Audrey.

"You bother me. You and whatever it is that drives you to hate me. So why don't you just go away for now. We can pick this up another day."

"I doubt he'll keep you around long enough for me to have to bother with you."

Audrey just snorted in response, turning to walk away.

Gemma hated being scoffed at. Angrily she asks, "And just how do you think you're different than any of the other women he's been with?

"Because he's told me so. Don't you get it, Gemma? I've engaged his mind, and if I'm really lucky, his heart. His dick seems to like me as well. The question is, why are you pushing me so hard? I've done nothing to you, nor am I trying to get Happy away from the club."

Gemma backed off a little now that she got some reaction out of the younger woman. She needed to direct the conversation back away from herself. "Maybe not, but what are you doing to be a part of his life outside your bedroom walls? He'll never be fully yours unless you embrace the club. It's just the way it is, wake up darlin'. You need to show him the same respect that he has shown you."

"I" Audrey stopped, not sure how to respond. Her anger faded, replaced with a feeling of self doubt. In some way, Gemma hit home with her statement. Hap deserved to have a woman who was willing to be open about the club. To be honest, Audrey didn't want to be confronted with the way Hap lives his life. She hadn't yet determined how she was going to deal with what Hap did for the club and what he did with the women who followed them. Did she want to know or did she want to live in oblivion? Once she opened the door to the club she would have to make a choice.

For right now, she decided that Gemma wasn't owed a direct answer. "Why don't you come meet the reason I couldn't come to dinner last night." Audrey gestured for Gemma to follow her into the barn; the fighting set aside for now in a silent accord.

When she left Audrey and Mrs. Morrow outside the barn, Tristan had returned to the house and washed up thoroughly as Audrey taught her. She didn't want any of the animals to get sick because of her. When she entered the kitchen, she gave Goliath pets and hugs and got kisses in return before she reached over and scooped up little peanut.

Tristan felt pretty good about today. She'd met Dolly, and Audrey told her what happened to her, she'd immediately wanted to comfort the dog. But Audrey had made her stay outside the pen and talk to Dolly instead. Tristan had been disappointed at first, wanting to start right away, but when Audrey explained that the dog was very nervous and needed to get use to her fist, Tristan understood. So she sat on a hay bale and had a nice long conversation. She was rewarded for her patience by a brief visit in the pen once Audrey had a leash on her.

Dolly was a sweetheart of a dog, and she had looked at Tristan with a wary but hopeful expression. Getting to pet her and reassure her Made Tristan's heart swell a little.

Tristan heard the bike pull up in the drive and turned to watch Audrey's boyfriend dismount his bike. He removed his helmet and stepped away from the bike looking at the SUV in the drive. He was scarier looking than most of the Sons, more intimidating. You could almost feel his quiet energy. She hadn't known him last year, but she had gotten to see him a few times while working with Audrey. He became much less intimidating after watching them together. She'd gotten brief glimpses into their private life when they forgot they weren't alone, and he looked at Audrey and treated her in a certain way that put Tristan at ease. He respected her and it showed in their relationship. Not the way her parents respected each other, because it was their Christian duty, but because they admired each other, and Tristan was sure they loved each other. She wished her parents still did. Tristan put little peanut back in his bed, and headed for the door. She shyly greeted Happy in the drive before hopping on her bike for the ride home.

As the road leveled out and her ride became smoother, Tristan thoughts again went back to earlier. She hadn't left the house because she was scared of Audrey's boyfriend. He just struck her as a man who liked his privacy so she left. And if she was honest, she felt awkward around all men except her father, since she was attacked. Tristan may be timid around men, but she was not afraid of Happy or of any of the Son's really.e respected herH In some ways it was a relief to see them around. She felt more protected; she'd grown up with them around town her whole life. When Tristan went missing, the Sons helped to find her, and Gemma helped her at the hospital by getting her mother to understand. She felt close to her that day. Her mother wanted her to not speak of the rape, but Mrs. Morrow understood that Tristan needed to say it out loud. Tristan counted herself lucky that she was there to intervene that day. She wished Mrs. Morrow and Audrey got along. She really admired both of them. She wanted to be as strong as they both were when she was an adult. As she pedaled her bike towards home, she wondered why they were fighting, and hoped they got past it soon.

Hap wasn't sure what to expect when he saw Gemma's SUV in the drive. He passed the Oswald girl on her way out, so it couldn't have gotten too bad. He stopped to grab a beer out of the fridge when he hears a familiar mewl and a tug at his pant leg. He looks down to find the kitten hanging from his jeans, his nails not able to let go to climb up or jump down. Hap laughed at the little ones predicament, before reaching down and picking him off his leg. Holding the monster against his chest, he looked out the back door as Gemma and Audrey left the barn. The women walked to the driveway together, with Gemma pulling away moments later.

Hap was sitting in the recliner, the kitten once again at home on his chest. He heard the door open and close as he continued to stroke the soft fur beneath his hand, giving Audrey a chance to have a moment of quiet.

As she entered the living room, he noticed her stance was tired but not defeated. He thought it was a good sign. He decided to lead with a neutral subject and ease into the conversation, still not able to gage her current emotional level. "Can you wake me when you get up in the morning? I'm gonna take a ride to see my mom tomorrow, just for the day."

Audrey nodded her assent while lost in her own thoughts. "You were right about this not being about me. I asked her point blank and she turned the conversation back around to me and my failures as a woman. She uses her defensiveness as a weapon and it stings." Audrey sits down on the couch, and curls her feet under her. Goliath walked over and placed his head in her lap for some scatchies. Audrey obliged him as she continued. "She pushed me for a reaction and she got one. After that she seemed to back off a little, and agreed to dinner here sometime next week."

"That's good?" Hap responded in question unsure of how she felt about what she was sharing.

"It's a step in the right direction." Audrey hedges.

Hap picks the kitten up off his chest and places him on the floor before walking over to the couch. He grabs Audrey by the ankles and straightens her legs out, while pulling her body down flat. He looks at her smiling face as he lowers his body next to hers, his arm pulling her closer and resting his head in the crook of her neck.

Once he was settled Audrey spoke softly "I'm not giving up. She'll like me even if it kills her, you know why?"

She felt the shake of his head against her shoulder and continues. "Because in the end she'll wants what's best for you, and that is me."

"Is that so?" Hap questions, his attention divided between her teasing remarks and the path of soft skin along her throat he'd been kissing.

"Yup, admit it Hap, you're smitten."

Hap lifts his head. "Smitten! Christ you are such a girl."

"That wasn't a denial."

Hap slapped her on the ass. "You're full of sass tonight."

"Would you like me to show you how much? Spank me again!" Audrey calls out before pushing him off the couch and making a run for the stairs.

_Sass_. Hap says to himself as he picks himself off the floor before chasing her up the stairs, just like she knew he would.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

One day away and everything turns to shit. Hap's mom had a bad night so he'd stayed and left to come home in the early morning hours. He returned from his trip only to get the news that Big Otto had been jumped and his eye was taken. Then he hears about the vote, no retaliation. What the fuck? At lunchtime, he followed Jax's trail to his rooftop retreat to get some answers.

Jax looked up from the manuscript, surprised to see Happy. He really shouldn't have been; he knew his friend had questions for him. Jax wasn't blind to the unease of the others. He had asked them to vote with him and gave them his reasoning. But they were still asked to go against their president. He'd not been able to talk to Happy since the vote was held before he returned. "Sup?" he asked leaving the opening for Happy to ask what he wanted.

Happy sat on the roof ledge and came right to the point as usual. "Make me understand Jax. This goes against everything we stand for. Big Otto is one of us man, we can't leave him hangin."

Jax inhaled deeply, knowing Hap would be a tough sell. He was a traditionalist, an old school biker, whose biggest responsibility to the club was to met out the retaliation. But he was also smart and he was here because he was willing to listen. Otherwise he would have just sided with Clay.

"The vote was not for no retaliation Hap, just for a delayed strike. We've not come up against anyone like Zobelle before. This man has power, money and a network of organizations working with him. We're not dealing with our common enemy. We need to find a weakness. He's anticipating a frontal attack, do you honestly think he's not thought this through? He'll be ready for us, and he'll use the law against us. He already has." Jax paused before continuing, taking a moment to acknowledge he had Happy's full attention. "I'm working on getting some intel. I want to get these assholes and give Otto the respect he deserves, but we need to be smart-have a plan. We will give Otto his eye."

"I understand your point of view, VP, but if we do nothing overt, the club appears weak. We can't have that right now. We're already asking for our business associates to give us time to get the guns running again. How would it look to them if we don't defend the honor of our club?"

Jax considered the statement before speaking. "Better to appear weak then later make an organized strike, rather than risking the entire club to get immediate gratification. We will solidify our position by removing Zobelle from Charming. We can't-I can't loose the club. Times are changing Brother."

"I can see your point Jax but there's a good chance if we allow ourselves to look weak, another enemy may use it to take advantage. We can't afford to be on the defensive against more than one enemy right now."

"I hear you Hap, I do. But I think we need to take the chance. Zobelle is deep into something other than White Hate. We need to find out what that is and how we can get some leverage against him."

Hap stood up. "Alright Jax, I'll accept what you say, but remember the vote was an even split. You and Clay both need to make concessions, before you destroy the very thing you are trying to save."

Hap walks away his mind contemplating the changes coming his way. His club was in jeopardy just as he makes the decision to settle in. For the first time, he had to consider someone else; what will he be exposing Audrey to and could she handle it? She seemed better after having the confrontation with Gemma, more confident, more sure. Was he doing the right thing by her? He never thought at the beginning of this encounter how much she would come to mean to him. He'd always know she was special but his thoughts about their life together lately had surprised him. He had actually changed some patterns since he met her. It wasn't a sacrifice. The boys sometimes busted his balls about being domesticated, but he didn't feel that way. He found someone he enjoyed and that's how he wanted to spend his time. He didn't tire of Audrey. She was smart, funny and knowledgeable on many topics which made her a great conversationalist. He teased her about having an opinion on everything. But it was endearing rather than annoying. He wanted them to continue. He needed to do whatever was necessary to protect the club. She committed to him by moving here, he would commit to her by staying and preserving his-their- life here in Charming.

Hours later Hap would recall those very thoughts as chaos reigned over the club. Chibs was injured in a car bomb, leaving no doubt that there would be immediate retaliation. Right our wrong, there were no more choices.

Tara's shift ended at noon and she headed for the garage. She was tired but she wanted to talk to Gemma again about Audrey. Maybe she was overstepping but the lessons Gemma had been teaching her were about her rightful place in the club hierarchy. Gemma told her she needed to embrace and accept her role at the VP's old lady. Tara didn't think Gemma meant for that advice to be used against her, but Tara needed some part of her life to feel calm, or at least drama free. She felt like every aspect of her life was in turmoil; between the Hospital Administrator all over her ass, the secret she's keeping for Gemma, and trying to fit back in to her life in Charming, Tara was feeling the stress. Audrey helped her forget about that. Their friendship had grown and the two women supported each other. She and Jax had even spent time as a couple with Audrey and Happy, going for rides and a dinner or two. She never thought she would have that type of relationship with another woman involved in the club, but who could have predicted Happy's choice in a woman would be so good.

She parked in the lot behind the garage and made her way to the office. Gemma was alone so she shut the door behind her.

Gemma turned in her chair to see who came in, raising an eyebrow at the closing of the door. "Well, that's not a good sign. What can I do for you today?"

"I'm just checking in to see how you're doing." Tara hedges.

"Bullshit. You are the one person I can be straight forward with right now, so just tell me what's on your mind."

Tara obliged her with a direct question. "Why do you hate her?"

Gemma sighed, knowing this would be the vein of this conversation. They had not talked about this since the disastrous dinner. "I really don't- hate her I mean" Gemma clarified. "She came here around the time of-you know. While she doesn't look anything like the woman that set me up, she was a stranger, and in my mind, was not to be trusted. At first it was just concern for the club, Clay and Jax didn't know what happened so why would they be looking for an interloper? I was protecting the club."

"But the background check?"

Gemma glares at Tara for forcing her hand. This subject was raw, and Gemma never liked admitting she was wrong about anything. "I know I'm redirecting my anger, hell, I didn't even need to see your shrink to figure that out. But the timing of her arrival? I didn't know her, and I didn't trust anybody. Rationally I know she didn't do anything, but by then it didn't matter. She was the enemy that I could fight. I can't seem to let it go now that she'd associated with those feelings. I just need time."

"I still think you should talk to someone about what happened to you." One look at Gemma's tightening muscles and clench jaw, Tara knew she needed to retreat from that sore subject. "You're saying all the right things Gemma, just don't think so long that it causes problems for Happy. Don't you think he deserves something good happening to him? And she is good for him. I know you can see it."

"Maybe" Gemma grudgingly admits, the skepticism still strong in her tone.

"Well you've succeeded in making her life here more difficult than it needs to be. Learning about the club and all the ins and outs is enough of a challenge. Adding your disapproval to that is making it that much harder. You need to think what you're behavior could do to Happy. Jax said he's never been like this before. Do you really want to be the reason he loses his girl? He seems happy to me Gemma. He's certainly different from before he met her." Tara stated continuing to use Happy as a tool to get Gemma to relax her stance on Audrey. She knew Gemma loved her boys and wanted what was best for all of them.

"I know! Jesus Christ will you let it be?" Gemma raised her voice, her agitation clear.

Tara knew Gemma didn't apologize-ever, this was the closest Tara was going to get to Gemma admitting a mistake. She took it; with a parting plea. "She's a good person Gemma; give her a chance. Hey, at least she's not a porn star."

Gemma lets out a sharp laugh knowing their talk was done for now. "Well, she does have that going for her."

Tara, feeling that she made the points she came to, went to seek out Jax. She found him outside the garage, having a smoke. She joined him, taking in his furrowed brow. The problems with the club and with Clay were causing him a lot of worry. She leaned against the same barrel as Jax, her arm brushing up against his. His frown eased slightly as he placed and arm around her and kissed her temple. She was just about to speak when a yell caught their attentions followed quickly by a wave of intense heat from an explosion. She didn't see Chibs fly through the air but by the time she got over there, the blood was pooling on the cement around his head. This was not good. She took his vitals and tried to stem the flow of blood from this head injury, but couldn't do much more than that. She stayed with him until the paramedics arrived, then followed them to the hospital, calling out that she would keep them apprised of the situation.

Gemma watched in horror as it happened. She couldn't understand why this was happening to them. The club needed a break from the constant loses they had faced this year. There seemed to be no relief. And with this near deadly strike Gemma saw the war that had been simmering would now be pursued full bore. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she watched her husband walk away, looking for answers. This would not end well; peace was not on the immediate horizon for any of them.

After hours of waiting for a change in Chib's condition, Tara had to report for her scheduled shift at the hospital. She worked a 24 hour shift before she could leave. Before leaving the hospital that evening, Tara checked on Chibs once more. He was still critical but they could do nothing now but wait to see if the swelling in his brain diminished. Exhausted, her head full of questions, Tara makes her way home.

Unfortunately, by the time she arrived in the late evening, Gemma had news for her.

"They've all been arrested; by county sheriffs not Charming PD." Gemma informs in a voice that let Tara know the seriousness of their position.

"They had to retaliate. It was a total setup. Zobelle was ready for them; they could get hard time for this."

"How do you know all this, did they call you?" Tara inquires, hoping Gemma was wrong in her assumptions.

"Opie was with them. He left to follow Zobelle as he escaped before the cops came, so he wasn't arrested. He said they walked in to a fucking church social with guns drawn. Opie said they followed some leads that turned out to be a setup by Zobelle. I called the lawyer, he's on his way to county. I'm waiting to hear back from him."

"Who was arrested?"

"Clay, Jax, Tig, Bobby, Juice and Happy."

"Shit"

"Yeah" Gemma agreed. "Listen, I'm gonna sit and hold my grandbaby for a while, if you don't mind."

"Of course Gemma, stay as long as you like. In fact, I should go and tell Audrey in person. She needs to know Hap won't be coming home tonight."

The two women made a tenetative plan before Tara headed out the door.

Tara pulls up to the house and makes her way slowly to the door. She hears a deep bark from the other side of the door before it is opened by Audrey with a puzzled look on her face. "Can I come in?" Tara asks soberly.

"Sure, what's going on?" Audrey asks sharply, she can sense fear, sadness, and reluctance in Tara's demeanor.

Tara sighs heavily as she takes a seat at the kitchen table. "The boys were all arrested tonight. They are in County."

Tara watches the worried look on her friends face turn to shock and fear before settling back to worried. "What are the charges?"

"It's not good, unlawful entry, assault with a deadly weapon, possession of illegal firearms, I'm not really sure of the rest."

"Have they set bail?"

"Not yet, they will probably be arraigned tomorrow. Gemma called the lawyer, he's at County now."

"Do we know what time? I want to be there. I'll need to call my bank in the morning and move some money around. What do you think bail will be?" Audrey questioned, in full organizational mode.

"Slow down Audrey. First, Gemma told me that you shouldn't go to the courthouse." When Tara saw Audrey about to interrupt she held up her hand. "Not for any reason other than no one really knows you yet and we should keep it that way. Zobelle will have people watching. If you come in and pay Haps bail, they will know you, and know Happy has a weakness." Tara paused again. "Plus, unless you have unlimited funds, you can't bail him out. None of the men will leave the others to face jail without protection. There is some protection in numbers. I'll let you know as soon as I find out about the bail, ok?"

Audrey was unhappy but accepted what Tara said. Hap was in jail. Shit. Was he safe? She didn't know. "Can you let Gemma know that I can probably get my hands on about forty grand to put towards bail. I'll have a more definitive number for her in the morning."

Tara listened as her friend offered what was probably her entire savings for a group of people she didn't even know six months ago. "You love him." Tara surmised.

Audrey looked up from where she had been picking at her cuticles nervously. "Yes."

"Enough to deal with him being in jail and offering up your own assets to get him out."

"Yes."

Tara studied her friend. "Did you want to elaborate a little more than that?"

"No."

Tara snorted at her and Audrey took a deep breath and let it out. "I need to have this conversation with Happy before I have it with you. And that can't happen unless I get him out of jail."

"If it helps any, I'm pretty sure he loves you too. When we are in a group, he's very possessive of you but reserved. But when it's been just the four of us together, he lets his guard down a little and he looks, well, happy. He reserves that look for you, Audrey. Don't worry, they will come back to us."

"I hope you're right." Audrey states before directing the conversation back to the matter at hand. "So what can we do now?"

"There's nothing more we can do until morning. Either Gemma or I will call you with the details after the arraignment." Tara moves to stand up. "I need to get back home to Abel, you going to be ok?"

"Yeah I'm fine. Thanks for letting me know." Audrey says as she walks Tara to the door.

Audrey closes the door behind her friend and leans her forehead against the cool glass of the window. She let herself feel the fear that had been creeping up on her since Tara broke the news. Straightening up she gets a soda from the fridge before heading into the living room and taking a seat in what she had come to consider Happy's recliner. As she hears the cries from below and the little claws making contact with the leather, she reaches down to pick up the kitten. He was now at an adoptable age, but there was no way she was letting Hap's kitten go. She leaned back in the recliner and let the kitten curl up on her chest. Stroking his super soft fur, she speaks to him gently. "Don't worry Peanut, he'll be home soon, I'm sure of it."

Sensing her unease, Goliath let out a small whine from his pillow bed in the corner. "It's ok boy." At the sound of her voice speaking to him, he walks over and rests his head on the arm of the chair looking up at her with worried eyes. She runs a hand over his head and scratches his head behind his ears. It had the right effect, calming them both. Audrey shut her eyes and let the oblivion of sleep take over.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The following day, Audrey was doing her best to distract herself from her concerns about Happy's safety by working outside. Tara had called about an hour before, and gave her that bad news about the bail. Even with what she could give, they weren't even close to having what they needed. According to Tara, the club had some business setbacks in the last several months, leaving them with minimal assets. The thought of Happy and the rest of the men having to stay in jail unnerved her. She could sense Tara's apprehension about it as well, which did nothing to alleviate her unease. Taking a break from her work for lunch, Audrey was making herself a tomato sandwich when the doorbell interrupted her. Pissed because now the bread would be soggy before she could eat her sandwich, she grudgingly went to answer it. As she got nearer to the door, the hairs on her arms stood up and her heart raced a bit as a feeling of dread came over her. Audrey abruptly turned around and ran back in the kitchen grabbing the .38 snub nose from the bread drawer. Sliding it into her oversized jacket pocket, she makes her way swiftly to the door. On her stoop is a man in a buttoned up short sleeved shirt, many tattoos and a disturbing smile, his hand on the shoulder of a young, angry looking boy. She recognized the man as one that Happy had warned her about, but her options were limited. Her eyes sought his, silently inquiring the reason for the visit.

"Good afternoon ma'am. My name is AJ Weston and this here is my boy Cliff." He grasps the boys shoulder tighter, as he turns to his son. "Now Cliffie, be polite and say hello."

The boy does as he's told, held closely to his fathers side. Audrey stepped out on the porch, closing the door behind her. Sliding her hands into her pockets she exchanges the expected pleasantries with them both before asking the nature of their visit.

"Well ma'am," Weston starts out, the smile on his face not masking his true nature. "I read that very nice article about you in the town weekly, and I thought it was very inspiring what you did for the dogs, rescuing them and such. I think my son is of the age that he needs to learn responsibility and I think owning a dog could help with that. Can we take a look at your dogs to see which one he wants to take?"

Audrey stiffens at his wording- take, own- not phrasing she would find acceptable for an adoptive family. With a small fake smile of her own, Audrey let them down gently in order to get them off her property as soon as possible without raising this man's ire. "I'm sorry, Mr. Weston, I think you have the wrong idea of what I can do for you. I do rescue and foster dogs, but the adoption process is done through regular agency channels, not from my home. If you want to adopt a rescue dog, you are going to need to do so through an area shelter."

"Well I'm sorry to hear that Ma'am. Are you sure you don't have any dogs here that I can buy? I heard barking when we pulled up in the drive." Weston persisted.

"The barking you heard came from the family dog; he is not adoptable. I'm sorry you wasted your time, Mr. Weston." Audrey said in an attempt to wrap up the conversation.

Another smile appeared on Weston's face. "It's never a waste of time conversing with a beautiful woman, Ms. Mason."

Audrey was hoping to avoid this type of conversation and once again she tried to disengage from the conversation. "Yes, well good luck in your search for a dog. Now if you will excuse me, I need to get back to work."

Weston puts a hand up before she could go back in the house. "Ms. Mason, if you'll give me just another minute." Turning to his son, he hands over his keys with instructions for the boy to go start up the truck. The sullen child once again does as he's told, leaving Audrey and Weston alone. "Pardon me for being so forward, but I was hoping you would be free for dinner tonight."

Audrey's spin stiffened but her face remained impassive. "No thank you Mr. Weston; I'm not available for dates."

"Well now, if that changes in the near future, you let me know. Its not often we get a new face in town, especially one that looks like you."

"Thank you for the compliment, but I don't see my circumstances changing. Now I really must get back to work. Goodbye Mr. Weston." Audrey states firmly her hand already on the door knob. Watching Weston retreat down the stairs, Audrey opens the door and quickly makes it back inside, locking it behind her. She immediately goes to the back door and calls Goliath inside, locking that door as well. She heads back to the kitchen and sits at the table, her hands shaking as she reaches for her water glass.

She'd trusted Happy's opinion when he told her that Weston was bad news and to stay clear of him but now that she had met the man, she better understood Happy's warning. While speaking politely, and using good manners while in her presence, Weston could still not hide his true nature. He frightened her without saying a threatening word. Happy would be pissed to find he had paid a visit. Audrey wondered at the timing of it all. Did Weston know she was Happy's girlfriend? It was odd and rather creepy that he just shows up the day after everyone goes to jail. Audrey, usually willing to take things in stride, had to stop and question the coincidence of it all. Thinking it over, she decides not to dismiss it.

Gemma watches her last hope walk away. Elliot Oswald had refused her request for bailing out the crew. There was no way she could come up with $300,000.00 on her own. Even with her and Tara's houses as collateral and the 40 grand Audrey offer up, they were no where near where they needed to be. And they could not just bail out a few of the men, the others would not survive in jail without friends. Gemma was concerned enough about their safety, without lessening their numbers. She says a silent prayer as she runs a finger along Abel's soft cheek as he lay in the stroller. She sat a few more moments in the pew of the church that she had tracked Elliot to, trying to think of her next move. Gemma looked up when she heard someone approaching.

"Hello, Mrs. Morrow."

"Tristan! How are you baby girl? And please, call me Gemma."

"I'm fine. It was nice to see you the other day." Tristan hesitates, but just momentarily. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure you can sweetheart."

"Well, it was kind of obvious to me the other day that you and Audrey don't get along. But I really like her. Is there a reason why I shouldn't?" Tristan asked, mostly to break into the conversation but she really did wonder if she should be concerned since she trusted Gemma.

"Why do you like her so much?" Gemma asks.

"Why don't you?" Tristan counters, putting the onus back on Gemma.

"Aw baby, I wish it really was about her or something she did. That would be so easy. So tell my why you like her and maybe it will change my mind." Gemma asked, slightly unnerved that she could be subconsciously influencing this girl away from someone who was helping her.

Tristan decided to trust her instants about her new friend and advocated for her. "Well, she's smart. And not just in a school smart way. She knows things. I think she saw my inside scars right away. She was just standing on the street with this huge dog and started up a conversation. In under two minutes, she had me volunteering to help her with the animals. I think she was trying to help me right from the start-like she sensed the animals would make me feel better, when I'd never even said there was anything wrong. And they do- make me feel better, that is. The empathy I feel for the new dog, Dolly, and what she went through, make my insides ache and reminds me of what happened to me, but the truth is I have to let myself feel in order to heal. I can't pretend it never happened to me, you taught me that." Tristan nudged Gemma's shoulder with her own at that last statement.

"I am glad she is helping you baby girl. Just like I'm glad I was able to help you."

"Gemma? I'm pretty sure she loves him, if that helps her case with you at all. And the feelings are mutual."

"Why do you say that?" Gemma asks, genuinely interested in her response.

"I've seen them together in their home. Her boyfriend looks hard until he's with her. He becomes lighter somehow; less burdened. And she twinkles whenever he's around. I think it's romantic." The girl gives a hopeful smile wishing the same for herself someday.

"Ok well maybe I'll give her a break, because you are good at making your point. You should be on the debate team."

"I am on the debate team." Tristan answers back smartly. She observed the tension in Mrs. Morrow since she entered the church. "Mrs. Morrow, Gemma, is there something I can help you with? I mean, you were there for me when I needed you, I want to help you if you need it."

"Oh, baby girl, thank you so much." Gemma sighed and debated what to say. Choosing her words carefully she continued. "Do you remember what it felt like to hold in your secret, even for a little while? How hard it was to understand what was happening when you couldn't share the burden with your parents?" Tristan nodded and Gemma continued. "Well now I have a secret that is weighing on me, but I can't share it with the people I love. So I guess I'm still hurting."

"But why can't you tell? You would feel so much better." Tristan placed her hand on Gemma's forearm. "You need to follow the advice you gave me last year."

"It's complicated. The fallout from my secret isn't just about me, it will affect my family in a bad way, and I want to protect them."

With wisdom greater than a teen should have, Tristan advised. "But they must know you are holding something back. Your family loves you. Doesn't your keeping this from your family hurt them anyway?"

"Maybe so, but for now this is the way it needs to be. Especially now that my husband and my son, are both in jail; along with our friends. I have bigger concerns right now."

"So that's the reason you came to see my dad, for help getting them out of jail?"

Gemma looked at this bright young girl with admiration. "You really are a smartie pants. Yes, I asked your father for help. But now I really need to get back to the shop. With everyone in jail there's no one running the place." Standing up, Gemma reached for the handle to the stroller before turning to face Tristan again. "Thank you for the talk. I promise to think about everything you said."

"Ok." Tristan responds. Thinking of something else she calls out. "Hey Gemma? Is Audrey's boyfriend in jail too?"

"Happy? Yeah, he's with them. I'm sure they will all be fine. Don't worry sweetheart." Gemma reassures before exiting the church.

Tristan watches Gemma push the stroller out the doors, before getting up herself and making her way out. Maybe she could catch up with her Dad this afternoon for a little talk. Maybe she could plead Mrs. Morrow's case. After all, she _was_ on the debate team. Tristan pulled out her cell and dialed.

Back at the shop, Gemma stares blankly at the overflow of paperwork on the desk as she tries to come up with another idea for bail. She hears her name being called from the doorway and she turns around on her chair to face Tara.

"Hey. I just got off the phone with the attorney. Juice has been transferred to a hospital for treatment. He was stabbed."

"Oh my god is he ok?"

"He'll be alright but it's bad. He was shanked in the back; it pierced is intestine or something like that."

Tara nods her head in understanding. "There is high risk of infection when that happens. What about the others?" Tara is almost afraid to ask.

"They are fine for now. We need a solution for the bail money before anything else can happen. I know Opie's working an angle for Clay, to get protection on the inside, but that is just a temporary solution. I just don't know where else to look for the money." Gemma relays, her frustration mounting.

Tara watches Gemma for a moment, debating on mentioning the reason for her visit. "Listen Gemma, I really don't want to put anything else on your plate right now." Tara stops again, not sure how to continue.

"Come on Tara, if it's something I need to know, then lay it on me. I need to know exactly what I'm dealing with if I ever can get a handle on my life again."

Tara caught Gemma's eye and held it as she spoke. "Weston paid a visit to Audrey's place earlier."

Gemma clenches her teeth at the reveal but otherwise, holds it together. "Did her hurt her?" she asks quietly.

"No, no he didn't. Audrey said he and his son can to the house and asked to buy a dog. She said she got rid of him as fast as she could but not before he asked her out. She thinks the timing of the visit may not be coincidental." Tara relays.

"I'd tend to agree with her. What did she do?"

"She said she politely declined and went inside. She wasn't sure who to tell about this, but didn't want to just dismiss it either."

Gemma nodded. "I'll ask Piney to stop out there to check up on her; have him bring her some firepower and make sure she can use it."

Tara approached Gemma laying her hand on the older woman's shoulder. "You ok?"

Gemma looks up meeting her eye. "I have to be right now. I don't have time to fall apart. Don't worry about me darlin', I thrive on adversity."

Gemma attempt to lighten the mood, fails but Tara gives her a small smile anyway for the effort.

"I'll let Audrey know to expect company. At least Piney will get a good meal out of it, if I know my friend."

"Don't tell me that; Piney is ruled by his stomach. If she's any good in the kitchen, he'll end up trying to steal Happy's girl."

Tara laughed for real this time. "I don't know, something tells me Audrey can handle Piney's brand of charm."

"Probably so" Gemma agreed. Standing up she motions Tara towards the door. "What do you say we call it a day here, and go home to my grandson?"

Tara tucks her arm in Gemma's as they head out. "It sounds like the best offer I've had all day."

The next morning, Gemma starts her day in the office early. She is behind in the paperwork, and needs to stay organized or there will me no cashflow coming into the garage. She just started to dig in when there is movement from the door. Whipping around to look behind her. Gemma is surprised by her visitor.

"Elliott!"

"Hello, Gemma" Elliott responds quietly.

Gemma stands to greet the tall man. "What brings you by?"

"I wanted to let you know, I will be posting bail today."

Gemma felt a flood of relief pass through her body at her answered prayers. "Elliot, thank you so much for this. I don't know why you changed your mind, but thank you for it."

"Don't thank me, my daughter decided to put her debating skills to work to plead your case. You can thank Tristan for sticking her nose where it doesn't belong, but I can never say no to my girl; especially when she makes some valid points. Regardless, I just wanted to let you know."

Gemma could not stop herself from throwing her arms around the man she'd known all her life. "I will make a point to thank Tristan for taking up my cause, but thank you too, Elliot. You didn't have to agree."

"Yes I did, Gemma. As my daughter pointed out to me, it was the right things to do." He nods in her direction and heads out the door. Gemma sits back and sends up a silent prayer of thanks before getting on the phone and making a plan for their release.

By the end of the workday Gemma, is jumping out of her skin waiting for the news of their release. She'd been expecting it hours ago, but the clock slowly ticked by with no word from the attorney. Now as it approached 6 pm, she was ready to place another call to the man with the large retainer. As she reaches for the phone again she hears Tara enter the office again.

"Any word?" Tara asks as soon as she clears the door.

"Not yet, it's the god damn county yanking their chains I bet. Where the hell is the attorney? We friggin pay him enough he should carry them all home on his back. Fucking shyster." Gemma ranted, releasing some of her frustration.

Her rant over, Gemma distracts herself by changing topics. "So I talked to Piney this morning about his visit to your friend this morning."

Tara perks up, raising an eyebrow at Gemma while waiting for her to continue.

Gemma continued with a smirk, "She made him chicken stew with dumplings and he says he's in love."

Tara laughs and throws in "I think they're all a little in love with her. Christ, I think I'm a little in love with her. She's been a true friend to me these past months."

"Yeah well, you can add 'she can handle a gun' to your pro-Audrey list, at least according to Piney. She assured him she was comfortable with the handgun, and also has a shotgun in the house, which she preferred." Gemma said with a slight tone of respect that did not go unnoticed by Tara.

Just as Tara was going to probe deeper into the potential thawing of Gemma's position on Audrey, Gemma's office phone rang. Gemma quickly reached for the phone barking out the familiar greeting. "Teller-Morrow"

After a brief pause Gemma replied "Thank you so much."

Hanging up the phone she turned to Tara with a mixture of relief and excitement. "They're out."


	21. Chapter 21

Thanks for reading!

Chapter 21

As Audrey approached the club house, she took in the flurry of activity going on around her. Everyone was anticipating the arrival of the crew. She sees Gemma and Tara standing outside talking quietly. "Hey, any news?" Audrey asks as she makes her way over.

Tara just shook her head while Gemma replied. "Not yet, but it should be any minute now."

They made small talk to keep each other distracted before finally seeing the van pull up. The doors of the van open to reveal the men one by one. They all made a bee line for the clubhouse except Jax who walked past them without making eye contact. Gemma stopped Tara from following him with a gentle hand on her arm and a shake of her head. She knew her son, and he needed time alone. Later he would be willing to accept some comfort.

"Well that didn't look good." Gemma mused. "But at least they're home."

Audrey just nodded in agreement. She was just grateful to see Hap with her own eyes. He looked tired, but even from a distance, he'd never looked better to her.

Gemma looked over at Audrey and added, "They went right to church, it'll be a while. And it doesn't look like we'll be celebrating their release anytime soon."

"Yeah, I think I'll go home and wait for Happy there."

Gemma nodded. "That's probably the best thing. I'm going to head home myself." Turning to Tara, she asked "Are you okay with Abel or do you want me to come get him?"

"No, I've got him. I'll see you both later." Tara says before the women head off in different directions.

Audrey arrived home, did the chores and tended to the animals all on automatic pilot. Her thoughts were on the man she'd been missing the past few days. She made a late dinner and was keeping it warm, but Hap still didn't show. She tried to go to bed but her rising anxiety kept her from sleeping; too many thoughts were racing through her head. Mostly she just wanted him to be okay and not get sent back to jail before she even gets to see him. Relief finally came when she heard the bike come to a stop in the drive. She sat straight up and hurriedly grabbed her robe as she headed down the stairs, getting to the bottom just as he opens the door. Seeing his handsome face, she nearly flies across the room, pulling him in a tight embrace. She just wanted to feel him against her. She felt herself relax for the first time in days as she lets his warmth penetrate her skin. Leaning back a little so she can see his face again she runs her fingers over his bottom lip as the other hand runs over the back of his bristly head. "I'm glad you are safe; I missed you."

He answered her with a hungry kiss, savoring the taste of her. Hap breaks the kiss and holds her tightly to him taking a moment to just breath her in. The stench of lockup finally fades as the scent of raspberries and roses takes its place, lifting his mood along with his libido. He hadn't allowed himself to think about her while he was inside. Stay focused to say alive; he learned that lesson years ago. Show no emotion, no weaknesses. But here with her now, he could revel in this feeling of being home.

Pulling back slightly he slides his hands from her back to her sides, lifting her gently. She wraps her legs around his waist and tightens her arms around his neck. Leaning down she captures his lips and they linger in this passionate embrace until Happy pulls back a just enough to focus on the stairs. When they reach the bedroom, Audrey rubs herself into is groin before letting her legs slide back down his body til her feet touch the floor. Happy has already untied her robe, and it slides off her shoulders, catching only where his arm is around her waist. He wraps his other arm around the soft skin of her shoulders before letting go with the other hand, finally allowing the robe to pool at her feet. Both hands come around, fondling her breasts before making their way to her stomach as he falls to his knees before her. His fingers dig into the flesh of her hips as he holds her steady, burying his nose in her center and breathing in her warm invitation. His hand slowly trails down one thigh and guides it up and over his shoulder for better access. His hands find hers and their fingers intertwine to hold her steady as his tongue snaked out to capture her essence, her ready response fanning the flames of his desire.

She came quickly the first time, his tongue bringing her to completion almost immediately. Having both feet on the floor now, she falls to her own knees bringing them face to face once again. She raises her left hand to his face, still wet with her juices. Her fingers traced from his cheek to his jaw as she stares into his passion filled eyes. She ran her nails against the back of his neck and onto his scalp, causing his body to shudder slightly with need. The hand on his face traces a path down his chest stopping as it reaches his heart. Audrey feels the beat of his heart and for the first time since they we separated, her own heart feels complete. Not breaking her gaze from his she knows she has his full attention. "I love you, Hap. I need you to always be ok." Audrey says softly trying her best to keep her voice from cracking as she drops her gaze from is.

His heart is racing and she must feel under her palm what her declaration has done to him. He lifts his hands to her face, brushing her beautiful hair back so he can see her fully. He cups her jaw, lifting her head so she will lift her eyes to his. Her blue eyes are glistening with suspicious moisture. "I love you too." He says pulling her forward to seal the deal with a lingering kiss, his tongue taking possession of her mouth. She was his. More than that, they belonged together. He'd known it since that moment on the road that fateful day; the minute he finally got to see those baby blues he knew. Having finally said the words, he waited to feel differently but it didn't happen. Sure there was the adrenalin rush of saying those particular words for the first time, but they both had known what they felt without the words. There was no question, so there was no difference in his feelings once the words had been exchanged. His fingers grazed lightly up and down her spin while he'd been lost in thought until she pulled back with a giggle from being ticklish.

Her giggle became a full blown laugh that reached her eyes and beyond when he lifted her and tossed her on the bed. Her love for him mixed with her happiness in having him back evoked a heat from deep within. She was going to burst if she didn't have him inside her soon. To that goal, she slid one leg over him, pushing him on his back and straddling him. Looking down into his face, she saw nothing but desire-for her. Happy always made her feel special in this way, like she was the only woman in the world. Focused she would call him. He could make her hot with one single minded stare. His focus was intense, but when it was all on her, she was overcome with an array of feelings; she felt loved, she felt desired, she felt safe, she was happy. Running her fingers down his taut chest to the bulge in his jeans, she rubs him through the thick denim. "Did you miss me Hap?" She smiles at him her eyes shining with anticipation, as she moves her fingers to expertly undo his fly. Not wanting any barriers between them, she pulls his pants down only to be frustrated that his boots were still on. Sliding off the bed she works the laces quickly then slide his jeans off the rest of the way. Finally, she had him naked and her hands go to work, first running up his calves making their way around to his knees then up his thighs as she climbs back on the bed.

Hap breaths heavily as he feels her hands all over his skin as her lips make first contact with his throbbing erection. She's working him to the point where he's going to come fast and hard as soon as he enters her warm pussy. There was nothing like being inside her tight body. In just a few short months her body had become his home; and tonight more than ever before, he was glad to have found her. His thoughts faded she works her way up his body, aligning her own body with his. As soon as he feels her moist heat him, his cock sought and found her entrance and he thrust up to be enveloped within her warmth. He groans in pleasure as he feels her walls constrict and he holds her hips in place so he doesn't come immediately. He feels her pause then she makes the slightest circular movement of her hips, rubbing her clit against him, and bringing herself closer to the brink. He could sense her need for completion and he gave into his own, thrusting hard into her repeatedly as his thumb found her needy clit. He watches the flush come over her skin as her head rolls back and she makes a whimper in the back of her throat which only makes him harder if that is possible. Slamming into her a final time, he comes hard as he feels her muscles pulsate around him, alternately squeezing then releasing his cock. His eyes open and he watches as she slumps forward laying her body on top of his, her hair a mass of waves surrounding them. He snakes his arms around her, holding her close to his body.

They stay like that for several minutes, neither wanting to distance themselves quite yet. Audrey finally lifts her head from his chest to brush the hair back from her face getting it out of the way. She places a kiss over his heart before separating from him with a sigh of contentment. Shifting her hip so she still has one leg over his possessively, Audrey thinks about all they need to talk about. Deciding it can all wait, she lays her head back on Happy's shoulder and allows herself to fall asleep to the feeling of him running his hand gently through her hair.

Audrey awoke suddenly from the deep sleep she had fallen into, and her heart started to race as Happy was not in bed. In her semiconscious state she fears that last night had been a dream, but as she became more oriented, she remembered that Happy was really home safe. She got out of bed, grabbing her robe from the floor where it had fallen the night before. If she needed any more proof that Hap was home, that was it, she smiled to herself. Making her way downstairs, she found him, his head in the fridge, looking for something to eat. She gently guided him away handing him a beer on his way and pulled out the spaghetti she'd made the night before. She heated it up and put it on a plate in front of him, kissing the top of his head a she did so. She felt him steal his arm around her, and his hand found a home on her hip as he thanked her for the food. "The spaghetti is still good, but the garlic bread was hard as a rock, sorry."

Hap just looked at her. "Are you kidding, this is great." Giving her a little extra squeeze he continues. "You spoil me with your cooking; I've never had it so good, so you'll get no complaints from me."

He let go of her so he could eat his dinner and she moved to her own chair. She wasn't able to leave him be quite yet, her knee finding his under the table. She'd been so scared for him in jail that now she needed to touch him to reassure herself that he was fine. Hap seemed to understand this and met her need.

As Hap finished his meal, Audrey's thoughts returned to the present. "So, you look good; at least no worse for wear." Audrey commented the question behind it clear.

"Yeah, I'm good. Juice took the big hit, and Jax and Clay-but that's another story."

"Wait, Juice got hurt? What happened? Where is he?"

"You didn't hear?" At the shake of her head Hap continued. "He's ok. But he got shanked on the inside; he's still in the hospital. We called about his release when we got back. They are keeping him there because they still want to monitor his condition and he has no one to help with homecare."

"That's ridiculous. I'll go to the hospital tomorrow and see if I can't get him released. He can stay here. He shouldn't have to be so far away if all he needs is someone to take care of him."

'Audrey" There was a warning tone to Hap's voice. "He's not a stray pup-"

"He's your brother Hap. I want to help. Fuck, I'm a nurturer by profession. And Juice has done a lot for me, setting up my network; I can keep him busy here." Audrey paused and placed her hand on Happy's forearm. "There's something else that may help persuade you to my way of thinking."

Hap just stared, taking in her demeanor which was telling him he's not gonna like what she has to say.

"I had a visitor here at the house yesterday." Audrey felt Hap's arm tense under her hand and she caressed his skin in a soothing manner. "AJ Weston."

That was as far as she got before Happy was out of his seat his anger clear. "Why didn't you tell me? That should have been the first thing out of your mouth when I walked through the door." He yelled. "Did he hurt you? What did he want?"

Audrey knew he was already tired and on edge so she didn't continue the argument about when she divulged the information. "First of all, I'm fine. I'm not sure what he truly wanted, although he brought his son with him on the pretense of buying a dog."

"You don't sell dogs."

"I know, which is why I found him suspicious, that and the timing of his visit. I wondered if his visit at that time was because you were in jail. I got rid of him, and I had the .38 on me the entire time." Audrey assured him. "I also called Tara to tell her what happened. Gemma sent Piney over to check on me last night. I did what I could without you being here Hap."

Hap realized she did the right thing and redirected his anger where it should be. "You did good." He told her as he walked over and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "I don't want that fucker anywhere near you again."

"I was a polite as possible, trying not to have any trouble; I just wanted him to go away. I made it clear to him that I was not available without mentioning you or anyone else. I don't know what he knows though. He's a scary guy, Hap."

"Yeah, well he's also a dead guy, if he comes near you again. I'll make sure he doesn't get that chance." Hap anger was still palpable. Processing the words she spoke he demanded. "Wait, he asked you out? I thought you said it was about a dog."

"The dog is what he led with; then he asked me out. He was probably looking to get a reaction out of me Hap; he may know I'm a friend of the club."

Hap sits back down so he can face Audrey directly, making sure she hears him. "You may be right, or, he may think you are a beautiful white woman who could help him raise his sons in the manner he demands. Either way, I doubt that is the last of it. Fuck."

"I'm ok Hap. We've talked about this. I can handle a gun. Plus if Juice is here in the house, injured or not, he would be good back up. Weston would never expect him to be here." Audrey offered her opinion.

Hap leaned back to contemplate what she had said. Despite his anger, his heart filled with pride at the way Audrey handled herself, and he told her so. Grabbing her hand, he lifted it to his lips and kissed it gently. "I'm proud of you, Legs; you did good."

Audrey didn't hide her pleasure at his compliment. She smiled widely at him and squeezed his hand slightly in acknowledgement of his words. Apparently they both learned from the last fight they had, so this one didn't escalate. To Audrey, tonight's encounter went a long way in showing her that they could make this relationship work.

Happy's thoughts ran in a similar vein. She had listened to him about her safety and protected herself. He was angry at Weston but also angry at himself for leaving her unprotected. He'd never had to worry about someone else before when he got in trouble with the law. It was an eye opener for sure. He thought more about Audrey's suggestion and agreed fully with her logic. "Ok, my little nurturer, go visit Juice tomorrow and see if he's open to staying with us. It's fine to tell him what's going on, that way he'll be more comfortable staying here. It will be good for him as long as he keeps his hands and his eyes to himself."

Feeling pretty good about their talk Audrey felt comfortable enough to tease. She pushes him back in the chair to make room for herself on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Aw, don't be jealous Hap; there's no need. I only have eyes for you; and Juice will know that, if he doesn't already, when he gets an earful of how well you satisfy me." She leans into his ear gently taking his lobe between her teeth and giving a small tug before trailing kissed down his neck.

Shuddering at the feel of her lips on his sensitive skin, Hap determines they are done talking. Standing up from his chair, Audrey still in his arms he once again carries his woman to bed.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"Goliath Sit!" Audrey commands as she makes it safe for an injured Juice to enter the house unmolested by her attention seeking dog. Goliath recognized the authority in her voice and sat still, except for the wagging tail thumping hard against the floor.

"Come on in Juice, he'll stay seated at least until we can get you situated." Audrey said, leading her injured friend to the couch. "I didn't want you to have to climb stairs just yet, so I turned the room we chose for my office back into a bedroom. But don't feel you need to stay there. You are welcome here, please make yourself at home."

Juice sat on the couch, tired after the drive from the hospital. He scratched his head not use to the stubble of hair growing in where he had previously kept it shaved. "Um, Audrey? Are you sure Happy is ok with this?" he asks for the third time since Audrey told him of her plan.

"Don't worry Juice, he's fine with it. In fact you are doing us both a favor by staying here. He feels better about me not being here alone during the day for right now. Besides, I consider you my friend too, not just Happy's brother; I want you to be comfortable here." Audrey reassures him as she takes a seat on the other side of the couch.

Juice nods in understanding. "Thank you for springing me from the hospital; I was getting stir crazy in there."

Smiling back at him she replies "No problem, I just sorry they made me wait so long to make it happen. And don't worry I'll put you to work soon enough; that should relieve your boredom." She teases as she looks over his frame and takes note of the subtle weight loss and tired countenance before adding "And I'll ply you with real food to help you get back on your feet faster."

His eyes get big and his stomach growls in anticipation. They both laugh at the sound. "That sounds great but they've restricted my diet still so I can't eat the good stuff."

"That's bullshit!" Audrey responds. "Just because your diet is restricted, doesn't mean the food has to taste like crap. The industrial food services union makes that shit up to defend the taste of the crap they serve in hospitals. I've already got the proverbial chicken soup made, I'll just heat it up and make some dumplings, and you can be the judge, alright?"

Juice swallows deep as his mouth starts to water at the thought of something tasty for lunch. He looks up at his savior as she walks into the kitchen, thinking again how lucky a man Happy is. "Can't wait."

Around 4:00 Audrey was surprised to hear Happy walk through the door. She was in the kitchen cleaning up, when he came up behind her and put his arms around her waist as he pushed her against the sink. Going right for her weak spot, she felt the heat of his lips on her neck as his fingers skim the waistband of her jeans. "Hey" he drawls out against her ear resulting in shivers down her spine. She felt him smile against her skin as he feels her reaction. Bastard. I can play too she thinks as she pushes back against him grinding her ass into his groin. Hap quickly regretted letting Juice move in as he stumbles sleepily through the doorway and interrupts their alone time. Hap got a smack in the arm from Audrey when he verbalized his thoughts in front of Juice.

"Come on now Leg's don't hurt me like that. Not unless you're gonna commit to it." His gravelly voice against her ear was a total turn on.

Juice made some muttered apology before backtracking to the safety of the living room.

"I was actually hoping you could make me a sandwich, I have some club business so I'm gonna miss dinner." He pauses a minute before continuing. "Things are all balled up right now, and getting clear could get messy. I need you to be alert, try to stay close to home. It's good that Juice is here."

"You weren't saying that a minute ago."

He grinned at her teasing. "Well he was interrupting a moment."

"Hap we have those moments all the time."

"Yeah and now I'm being denied."

"Poor baby" She says as she kisses his jaw. "This business isn't going to land you back in jail tonight is it?"

"I hope not, but I make no promises." He teases, sort of. He won't be mentioning the shoot out earlier today. What a cluster fuck that was. Tig's got his head up his ass lately and Clay's actions trying to salvage a plan gone wrong, reeked of desperation. If it wasn't for Half Sack, Clay would have ended up with a bullet in him.

Her response was a scoff and an eyeroll before heading to the fridge to get him something to eat. She won't mention the fact that he smells like gunpowder. As she pulled some containers out and set them on the counter, he slid up behind putting an arm around her waist and whispers in her ear. "Thanks Leg's. You're the best." Placing another kiss on her neck, he goes to grab a quick shower.

Deep in thought over the events of the day-the last few weeks really, Hap stood at the bar alone, quietly drinking his beer. It seemed to him that the club was under siege with no end in sight. Zobelle, fucking Weston, jail, the infighting, Chibs and Juice getting injured, FBI and ATF sniffing around , and today, they got caught hijacking their own guns back from Weston. Now, Otto's old lady. This was more than a run of bad luck.

He knew Jax was right in his idea to get into some legit businesses. Their recent bout of bad luck confirmed it. The club was no longer untouchable in Charming. Times were different. Law enforcement surveillance was better than ever before, and their new enemies wore suits instead of riding Harleys. The club was virtually defenseless.

He needed to remind himself why he joined the MC in the first place. He didn't have a need to kill, that wasn't part of his make up. He did what was necessary for the MC-that was all. If someone had to die then so be it. His reason for joining was the same reason he stayed; he wanted to live free and ride. That's what it was all about for any of them. They chose their businesses based on money and opportunity. They needed big cash in order to live free. Hap didn't miss the hypocrisy of that thought. For a long time, the Sons have been about guns, but they didn't have to be. Jax was on the right track, porn was big business too. And it was legit. Fuck they could get licensed to grow and sell medical marijuana in their great state of California if they wanted to.

Jax had already come to him about the possibility of going Nomad. Hap wasn't sure he agreed with it, but it was Jax's right and Hap made inquiries on his behalf. Quinn would never refuse Jax, but the implication of JT's son leaving SAMCRO was bad for the club as a whole. If Jax chose to go through with the transfer it would send a message that the mother charter was at odds. But things were becoming more volatile, the brawl in jail between Clay and Jax did nothing to settle things between them. If anything it escalated their adversarial tendencies.

Just as that last thought crossed his mind, the man himself walks into the clubhouse. "Happy, you got a minute?"

Hap nods and follows Clay to chapel. Hap watches thoughtfully as Clay closes the door behind him. "I'm gonna get right to the point Hap. I need you patched in here-full time."

"What's going on?" Hap asks evasively.

"You saw for yourself today, I can't count on Tig right now, he's fucked in the head. I need someone I can count on to get the job done."

"I'll always get the job done Clay, I don't need to be SAMCRO for that."

"No, but you do if you are the Sergeant at Arms." Clay said

Happy stood, nonplused. He thought for a moment how to respond diplomatically. "Clay I'm honored that you would consider me for that position, but I'm not ready to make that type of commitment to SAMRCRO just yet. I'm still Nomad for a reason. Don't get me wrong, I'll still do the job's needed for the club, but the title belongs to Tig, and I'm not sure you are ready for him not to have it. Think on it Brother."

"I don't need to think on it, Tig froze and left me hangin' today, you were there! I heard you call out to cover me and my Sergeant at Arms froze and the prospect had to come out to cover me."

'I still don't want the title. Or the notoriety that comes with it." Hap glares at Clay

Raising his voice as his temper flares, Clay demands. "And if I ordered you to take it? You wanted to come back full time as SAMCRO, this is your opportunity."

Hap kept his cool. Clay was his friend and his President; he didn't want this animosity between them, but his position was firm. "If you're making this job conditional to me staying in Charming, then I'd say we have a problem. I can go back to Tacoma eventually."

Clay had had enough of his orders not being followed. "And what about your little piece you just moved in, how is she gonna feel about you going back to Washington, after she just moved here for you?"

With an even tone, Hap responded. "Clay, when have I ever turned you down when you've asked me to step up and take care of business? I do what needs to be done; I don't want any titles attached to that. Anonymity suits me. That has always been understood between us. Now you are threatening me, trying to manipulate me, using my woman. Do you really wanna keep riding down this road?"

Clay sighed heavily and thought about who he was talking to. Happy did the jobs that no one else wanted or were too scared shitless to do. He got his hands bloody time and again for the Sons and for Clay personally. He had a special kind of respect for the killer, and for that reason he was sorry for lashing out at the man. "We do have an understanding, I'm just pissed off and frustrated all the fucking time lately. This thing with The Little Prince. Now I can't even count on Tig to watch my back! I won't force the title on you, and, as I've said before, there will always be a seat at the table for you Hap."

Clay held out his arms and the men hugged briefly with shoulder slaps, to solidify their spoken agreement. Things would remain status quo within the club for now, but now they knew where each other stood.

It was early morning by the time Hap came home. He'd gone for a ride after his meeting with Clay to clear his head and just kept going. He climbed the dark stairs to their room, his thoughts still muddled despite the ride. Instead of getting undressed and into bed, Hap sat on the edge and placed a hand on a sleeping Audrey's arm. He gives her arm a squeeze and calls her name quietly. Watching her stir he waits for her to get her bearing. When she meets his eyes he asks "Come for a ride with me."

Audrey recognizes the determined tone for what it was. She didn't say no.

"Dress warm." He says as he makes his way back downstairs. He lets the dog out while he waits for her.

They headed east to the mountain, riding for about a half hour before Happy pulled up at a roadside pull-off that was a lookout along the cliff side. "It's too dark to see anything right now but in about 20 minutes the sun will be coming up and this view will be spectacular."

Audrey steps off the bike and waits for Happy to join her. He was tense the whole ride up, she could feel it in his body. She was a little afraid of what he might say, but she waited to hear it just the same.

"There's some stuff we should talk about."

"I figured."

Hap brought her to a bench near the railing of the overlook. They sat down together their eyes adjusting to the predawn light.

Reaching out he grabs her hand and holds it in his own, rubbing his thumb along her knuckles slowly, methodically. "Big Otto's wife was beaten to death tonight."

Audrey felt the rush of blood in her head at his words. She didn't know the woman but she knew what it meant-or at least the significance of the act. She stayed silent and waited for him to talk; he brought her here for a reason, after all.

"Tonight I watched my Brothers fight over who was responsible for getting her killed. They made Luann's death all about the club. What about Otto? He went to prison for the club, and his wife should have been protected. Instead she's dead." He stares down to where his hand still holds hers. "I don't want to get you killed."

Audrey wanted to deny, to say anything to make Hap feel better, but held back; she knew he wasn't finished so she just squeezed his hand.

"I knew when I joined the Sons that they would become my family when I patched in. Your Brother's come first, then everyone else. I bet that's cold comfort to Otto right now." Hap sighed heavily before continuing. "I never expected you. Now, I think about the future of the club, and my future. I'm a soldier, I'm supposed to obey orders and tonight, I said no."

As he pauses Audrey feels her heart race. _He thinks I've changed him, he wants his old life back. _

"Maybe you should consider going back to New York for a while; you'd be safe there."

"No!" Audrey was done keeping her mouth shut. "I'm not leaving you. Why would you suggest that?" The hurt was evident in her voice.

Haps voice became hard. "Audrey, don't kid yourself into thinking that I'm a good guy. I meant what I said the other night. Our feelings for each other are real, so you see the best part of me. Understand you are the exception in this case, not the rule. Don't ever forget that; you will only be disappointed."

And there is was. Audrey had been anticipating a conversation like this one and had spent a lot of time, contemplating what her response would be. "Hap, don't try to talk me out of loving you, that's not gonna happen. We may not talk about what you do but that doesn't mean I don't know who you are." Feeling her anxiety rise, Audrey changes her approach. "Look-I'm not much for religion. I've always felt that I have my own set of codes that I live by. I am my own judge. I think that maybe you are the same way, about your own moral code, I mean. If you can live with yourself, and continue to be the man I've gotten to know and love, then I don't have any questions." Hap just gives her a nod of acknowledgement and Audrey leans forward placing a gentle kiss on his lips. "I only ask that you protect yourself. You going to jail scared the crap out of me; I don't want to loose you."

"Audrey" he says, "I can't make those kind of guarantees." He watches as her shoulders fall a little. Running his hands up for arms until the reaches her shoulders, he bolsters her up.

"I know. Rationally I get it, but emotionally, I'm still learning." Audrey pauses at the first rays of sun break over the horizon. Turning her attention back to this man who had her heart she lifts his hand up leading his arm around her shoulder as she fits herself into his side. "For now, let's watch this spectacular sunrise you promised me."

They sat there a while longer taking in the view and enjoying the closeness of the moment. Knowing they both needed to get home, Audrey sits up straight and turns to Hap. "See we actually had a conversation about the club without you telling me anything I didn't need to hear, and me not having an anxiety attack. I think we've got this down." Audrey smiles at Hap, the love she feels for him clearly written on her face in the morning light.

"Let's go home."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

No one in the MC was unaffected by the events of the last few days. Not 12 hours after the vote that sent Jax to the Nomad charter, he and Clay were back in church as a united front telling the men what had happened to Gemma; that she'd been brutally gang raped by that prick Weston and his crew. The same man that Happy knew was at Audrey's house just a week ago. They'd all agreed to keep this news fairly quiet, not wanting to tip off the enemy to the fact they knew what had happened. Happy seethed inside at the idea of what could have happened to Audrey and what did happen to Gemma. Gemma was a rock. The fact that she could keep this quiet and live with it on her own in order to protect the club? Happy's respect for the matriarch grew.

It would be hard for all of them to keep the promise that they made to not react when dealing with Weston or Zobelle. The truth of Gemma's rape was only known to the men who sat at the table. Gemma insisted Happy be told because of Audrey, so he could protect her. He appreciated that gesture as well.

Happy drove Juice home after the morning meeting. He needed to talk to Audrey before heading back to work. When they arrived at the house Juice made himself scarce while Happy sat Audrey down at the kitchen table to tell her what the club had learned today. Hap watched Audrey's face as he told her what went down, but she didn't seem surprised by the news. He questioned her lack of response.

"No, I didn't know what had happened, but it was obvious that something traumatic had happened to her. And Tara hinted at something without saying anything. I'm glad Gemma told what happened. It explains a lot. I don't know what to think about it being Weston. I don't know how to react to that."

"Clay pulled me aside to tell me that Gemma specifically asked him to tell me so I could protect you. She's worried-has been since that fucker came here. It may even be part of the reason she finally told."

Audrey thought about what he said and nods her agreement. "That's when things got easier between Gemma and me. I thought it was because you guys were in jail and we needed each other, but now it makes even more sense. I'm so sorry that happened to her."

"Everyone is. Were all walking around trying to wrap our heads around it. The only good news is that Jax is staying put and the tensions between he and Clay are done for now. We need to all come together on this."

Audrey simply nodded her agreement. Happy watch her face as she sat at the table drinking her coffee; watched as her mind worked overtime digesting this new information. She'd talk about it when she was ready and not before.

When they returned to the house, Juice made his way to his room, knowing Happy needed to tell Audrey about Gemma-and Weston. He wanted to give them some privacy for that conversation but needed something to occupy his mind; he didn't want to think about Gemma, not when he was useless to do anything about it. He chose instead to power up the computer and got to work on Audrey's rescue/rehab project. When she first moved here, he'd helped her set up her network, but now he figured he'd do some additional work on her data base. It was the least he could do. Audrey, not surprisingly, had been welcoming and had taken special care with him. What did surprise Juice was that after Tat first day of adjustment, Happy seemed ok with him being here. On the ride back to the house, he and Happy had discussed Audrey's safety. Juice had agreed to stay at the house, at least until he was able to ride again. If he couldn't be any use to the club in his condition, at least he felt needed here.

Thinking about what he'd seen of his brother recently, Juice decided he was done busting Hap's balls about being domesticated. Hap had the fucking life. While things were rough for all of them right now, Happy had a woman to come home to that clearly loves him, a great meal on the table every night, and lots of sex, to which Juice could attest to-very loud sex. And what did he give up? Nothing that could compare to what he had at home, that's for sure. Hap's personality didn't change, just a few of his habits. Juice recognized his envy for what it was. He'd given up pursuing Audrey long ago, but it was more what she represented; the idea that there may be a woman out there just for him. Fuck. He knew he sounded like a goddamn girl but the truth was, Juice had always wanted someone to understand him and like him anyways. Even within the club, he was the one the brothers pulled their pranks on. He knew it was all in fun but in some ways, it made him feel removed. All his life he felt like he was just slightly on the outside. It would be nice to have a good woman by his side someday.

Looking on the positive side, at least he knew what it was he was looking for. He wanted someone at home who accepted all of him. Juice shrugged off his pity party and got to work. A few hours later, he was brought out of his computer zone by a knock at the door. Grabbing the 45 from under his pillow, he tucked it into the small of his back and went to answer the door. Passing the kitchen, he noticed Happy and Audrey were no longer there.

Opening the door, Juice relaxed as he saw it was Tristan. He stepped aside and the shy girl enters the house.

"Hi Juice, how are you feeling to day?" she asks a slight blush in her cheeks, noticing the mohawk was back. It was a startling difference to the dark stubble that she had grown use to this past week. She'd been here almost daily, her visits to the house increasing as Daisy's due date approached.

"I feel a lot better. I'm just frustrated I can't ride yet, but it shouldn't be too much longer; my back is getting stronger every day." He answers stepping aside to let her in.

"That's great, I'm glad to hear it; although I'm getting used to you being here. I'll miss our talks when you leave." Blushing again after realizing what she'd admitted, Tristan quickly changed the subject. "So, how's Daisy today? Have you seen her?"

"Not today, I had to go to town, but I think Audrey may be out there with her now."

Tristan sighed, "I know I'm being impatient but I thought these pups would be here by now. I can't wait for them to be born. Audrey spoke with my Dad and he agreed to let me be here when it happens, unless I'm in school at the time."

Juice noticed the girls worry over possibly missing the birth. "You know, I'm sure you'll get to see them born, you've worked so hard with Daisy, I'm sure she won't disappoint you."

"You really think so?"

Juice smiled reassuringly at her. "I'd bet on it."

Looking down at her feet, Tristan relied "Thanks Juice, you always know how to make me feel better."

About to reply, Juice was interrupted by a voice from the back of the house. "Hey Tristan, guess what? Daisy is nesting, it'll be very soon now. She'd also getting a little testy so I don't want you in the pen without me, okay?"

"Alright Audrey. Can I see her now?"

"Sure, go on out back, I'll be just a few minutes. Don't be offended if she's standoffish, she's just uncomfortable right now."

Audrey watches the teen make her way to the barn before turning to Juice. "Careful there, Juice."

His puzzled look and questioning grunt lead to her mumbling "adorable but oblivious" under her breath. "Tristan is a sixteen year old with a crush, and a ton of emotional baggage. You need to be careful."

Juice got more confused and then pissed. "I would never make a play for her, she's just a kid! Is that what you think of me?" the hurt evident in his voice.

"No, that's not what I'm saying at all, Juice" Audrey reassures. "But it was pretty clear to me from what I just overheard that she has a crush on you."

"Why me?" Juice asks, still puzzled by Audrey's ideas.

"Why not you? You're a handsome older man who she can talk to like a friend. She feels safe with you in that capacity. She can explore her feelings knowing, a least in the back of her mind, there will be no follow through."

"I don't get it."

Audrey sat him down and explained her point of view. "Tristan was brutalized just a year ago. She seems calm and serene on the outside but inside she is still afraid. She doesn't trust the boys at school. That may be because they are teenage boys but a bigger part is because she isn't allowing herself to trust men. But in you, she found someone she can relate to. You are staying in the house she visits on a daily basis and she can talk to you in a safe environment about her newly discovered love of animals because you are here every day to see it. There's no pressure."

"But she was attacked by an adult male. Shouldn't she be more afraid of me?" Juices curiosity and need for understanding was clearing in the question.

Audrey shook her head. "No, not really. You are a Son. She explained to me once that because she grew up in this town she doesn't find the MC scary; Sons equal security to her. In this instance she sees you as safe. She can explore having feelings for you without having to worry that you or she would ever act on them. Besides, Juice, I think your good heart and easy going nature shine through that cut and those tattoos. Maybe that's not what you want to hear, tough guy, but it's the truth as I see it."

He was starting to understand. He liked Tristan; she was a really good person. He was at the fair that night, he'd even seen Tristan there, waiting in line for a ride. So innocent then, but no more. If he could help her then he would. Turning back to Audrey he asked "You told me to be careful. What should I do? I'd like to help her if I can."

"That's good! Just be her friend, but don't tease her. She's not ready for any type of sexual innuendo." Seeing Juice about to protest again she stopped him "I'm not saying you'd come on to her, Juice. What I'm talking about is simple stuff you wouldn't think twice about; teasing her about boys, or mentioning her crush on you. I don't think she is ready to deal with any of that. Just keep it simple and be her friend."

"I can do that."

Audrey stands up and places a supportive hand on his shoulder. "I know you can."

Audrey made some calls and finds Gemma is at home. In fact she hadn't left the house all day. Audrey pulls up to the house and makes her way to the door.

Gemma answers her face a blank mask. Audrey could not tell what her reception was going to be. Gemma wordlessly steps aside allowing Audrey to enter.

Gemma asks if she wants coffee and the two women sit together at the dining table with their full mugs. After a few minutes of silence as the women got comfortable with each other, Audrey opened the dialogue. "So, you can guess by my being here that Happy told me what happened. I wanted to thank you for the warning, and say how sorry I am that this happened to you. You didn't deserve it."

Gemma scoffed, her back was up and she did what came natural, she lashed out. "You don't know anything about me. Karma can be a real bitch."

"No Gemma, what happened to you wasn't karma. It was the result of a group of men making a power play. You were the victim in this. It was never about you."

"I'm not a victim!" Gemma yelled.

Recognizing Gemma's anger for what it was, Audrey stayed calm. "Yes Gemma, you were a victim. Something horrible happened to you and you had no control over it. You stopped being a victim the minute you took responsibility by covering it up. You took back the control so Zobelle wouldn't win, but you were victimized. You need to let yourself grieve for the loss you suffered. Let the people who love you, help you through this."

Gemma sighed her anger quickly fading. She seemed to deflate right in front of Audrey. "I've been holding it in for so long that if I accept sympathy from the boys I'll fall apart."

"You're allowed to fall apart Gemma. It may even help you."

"I don't want pity and I won't show weakness!"

"It wouldn't be showing weakness to accept love and support from the people who care about you Gemma. I'm sure they feel helpless and, in a way, responsible for what happened to you. Supporting you would make them feel better as well, don't you think?" 

"Shit. You're a smart bitch aren't you?" Gemma grudgingly allows reaching in the ashtray and lighting up, taking a big hit before passing it to Audrey. The women sit and share the joint in silence.

Discarding the roach in the ashtray, Gemma comments on the earlier conversation. "I agree with you that Clay and Jax are blaming themselves for what happened. It's not on them though."

Audrey inturpted. "It's not on you either Gemma."

Gemma smiled for the first time, "I know, I know, momma bear. I'm just trying to figure out how to make them realize the truth when I can't stop blaming myself. How do I fix it?"

Going with a more lighthearted approach, Audrey teased her companion. "Well, I don't have all the answers but I have an idea of where we can start."

Rolling her eyes, Gemma comments, "Please, you don't have all the answers, you are the most opinionated broad I've met in a long time. You have an answer for everything."

Audrey laughed. "Yeah, guilty. I'm a problem solver by nature, except when it comes to my own life. I struggle to see that clearly. But, since meeting Hap, that is beginning to change." Realizing the conversation shifted to her, Audrey quickly puts it back on track. "So about my plan. I know I still owe you a dinner from weeks ago. I was thinking that maybe I could have a big dinner and bring everyone together for a night. I think it would help the men to be able to spend time with you, if only to assure themselves that you are alright. They may know how strong you are, but they still worry."

Gemma looks at her like she's lost her mind. "You want your first dinner to be everyone? Are you sure you can handle it?"

Audrey shrugs and dismisses Gemma's concerns, "Now's the time to think big. I can do it, no problem. It'll be fun, I love to feed people. Besides, Juice is in a funk, he needs to have family around. I think he's missing being part of the action."

Gemma nods "Yeah, Juice is a sensitive guy, and the boys can be rough on him. He had shit for a home life. I'm glad you've adopted him."

Audrey laughs again. "Yeah, I sorta did, didn't I?" Sobering up she continued. "I couldn't help it. He doesn't have any one, and the boy needs a little TLC."

"Happy ok with that?" 

"Happy knows he's got nothing to worry about. It's actually been good having Juice at the house. After the first day, it's been pretty smooth. I think Juice is comfortable with us, but still a bit lonely, you know?"

"Yeah. You'll be good for him." Gemma paused. "And maybe you're good for all of us."

Audrey raises an eyebrow at that comment. "Wow, was that acceptance I hear from you?"

Gemma glares at her. "Don't let it go to your head. I'm just admitting that I misjudged you." She takes a breath before continuing. "It wasn't about you, you know. It was the timing of your arrival and what had happened to me. I think you might be growing on me."

"Like a fungus, right?" Audrey jokes.

Gemma answers more seriously. "No, more like maybe a friend."

Audrey was floored. "That's good to know. So what do you think, Gemma, dinner tomorrow night?"

"Sounds like a plan. It's time to take back our lives."

"Agreed."

The rest of the afternoon found Audrey in full out organizational mode. By the time she left Gemma's house, she had a shopping list and a plan of attack for having a large dinner with barely 24 hour notice. Audrey felt charged; she was in her element now.

She walked into her own house hours later, her arms filled with grocery bags. "Hap, can you help me unload please? Were having a dinner party tomorrow and I have tons of food to prepare." She calls out as she passes the doorway to the living room where Hap and Juice are watching TV.

Happy leans forward in the recliner, his hand grabbing Peanut from his sleeping spot on Hap's chest and placing the disgruntled kitten on the floor. By the time he stands up, Audrey is already making her second trip into the house. He brings in the rest of the bags and sets them on the counter.

"I went to visit Gemma today and realized I still owe her a dinner. I thought tomorrow night would be a good time. Tell the guys won't you please?" Audrey asks, giving him a quick kiss as she races back and forth between the bags, the refrigerator and the pantry.

"Sure, no problem. Um, who exactly are you inviting?" Happy asks stepping back from the fray.

"Oh everyone" Audrey says distractedly. "Where's the electric roasting pan? Maybe it's still in the jeep. I borrowed it form Gemma cause the oven isn't big enough to do everything I need. Can you go out and get it for me please? Thanks Hap you're the best."

Hap was going to reply but Audrey had already moved on to the next thing. He went back out to the jeep and got the pan and set it in the pantry before returning to his recliner. He looks over at Juice, who is giving him a confused look. "Just stay out of her way man. She's scary when she's like this; she'll run you down before you can get out of her way."

"I heard that!" comes the voice from the doorway. "Why don't you boy's go out to eat tonight? That way I can get down to business sooner."

"No problem, Legs. We'll be back later." Hap agrees before grabbing Juice and the keys to the jeep.

Juice looks behind him as he heads out the door shaking his head. "Holy shit, look at her go. I think she's possessed man."

"Nah, just on a mission." Hap replied. "Lets go."


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

The next morning found the men once again around the table, more determined than ever to find a way to penetrate Zobelle's armor.

"There's no paper or electronic trail that I can find. He's covering his tracks well." Juice replied to Jax's inquiry.

"He can't afford not to. If his ties to the Feds were to come out, not only would it hurt his business, he'd be a dead man." Clay added.

"We know he's trafficking Mayan heroine. We could use that to get Weston to turn on Zobelle. He won't stand for doing deals with color, maybe we can take advantage of that. Plus, he's starting to feel excluded by Zobelle; there's a rift there." Jax offered another suggestion. 

Clay shot it down with his own take on Weston. "Weston may turn on Zobelle for using the Mayans but he won't work with us to get his revenge. He's too much of a zealot to do business with us under any circumstance. Let's keep him in the dark for now. If he gets a whiff of Fed stink on Zobelle, Weston will just go underground for a while to regroup and lick his wounds."

"That can't happen." Jax says with quiet resolve.

The conversation lulls while the men think of other solutions. Finally Clay puts another idea on the table. "We still have that little bomb about Zobelle being in bed with the Feds. Weston may not work with us but Marcus ain't gonna like that news, and if we present it in the right way, he may just reconsider his options."

"Then maybe that's the angle we should use."

"Can we turn Alvarez against the kind of money he's making by doing business with Zobelle?" Bobby asks.

Clay explains his reasoning. "Marcus will at least listen to what we have to say. We'd just be the messenger of bad news, not the enemy. He's a smart man and knows what it will mean for the Mayans to do business with a rat. The government will have no use for the Mayans once Zobelle moves on. Mayans ain't a big enough fish for the Feds to offer a deal, so Marcus knows if things go south, he's going down. He may not be receptive to our overture though; what else have we got to bargain with?"

Bobby answers. "Not much. We're all but tapped out financially. The Chinese connection is iffy at best. The Irish say they want to deal, but we've seen no guns yet."

Jax speaks up. "We need to appeal to the biker first, not the business man. Hell, we all know, if the Feds sick around it's not just SAMCRO that will suffer, it's our way of life. The Mayans will be in the same position. We need to work together to preserve the MC way. That's the angle we need to work with Alvarez."

"You think it will work?" Tig asks. 

"Set up a meet and lets see." Changing his focus Clay looks at Happy. "Hap, you need to steer clear of Marcus. No need to remind him of what happened the last time the Sons did business with the Mayans." Clay waits for Haps nod of understanding. "Hap what time is dinner tonight?"

"Seven" 

"Until then." he adds before adjourning the meeting.

Audrey hears the sounds of her guests muted voices from the next room as she reflects on the successful dinner. Her thoughts wander as she stands at the sink, doing some cleanup before serving dessert. Hearing someone enter the room she turns to see Tig reaching in the fridge to grab a beer. She watches as he leans against the fridge looking like mischief. Audrey raises and eyebrow and waits him out.

Tig coughs then asks "So tell me, how did you get Happy to let Juice move in here?"

As much as she wanted to tell him that Happy didn't 'let' her do anything, Audrey knew that battle had no place here. "I told him I wanted to have Juice stay so that he would have homecare and be able to get out of the hospital faster."

"Yeah, that's nice and all, but Juice is a dog, and he's living with you." Tig persisted. 

"And what? I like dogs." Audrey deflects before confronting the meaning behind the question head on. "You want to know why Hap trusts me with a predator like Juice around?"

"Ah, yeah, pretty much." Tig replies, a bit unnerved by her blunt demeanor. There was no beating around the bush with this one; she wasn't afraid of his aggressive type crazy.

Audrey darts a glance behind Tig as she sees Happy standing in the archway. She quickly looks back at Tig as says "Hap trusts me because since the day I met him, I never looked anywhere else. And Juice knows that too."

Happy walks up behind Tig and slaps a hand on his shoulder. "Leave her be Tig, or she won't give you any pumpkin pie."

Tig looked up quickly. "You made pumpkin pie?"

"Apple too" Audrey laughs at the boyish expression on Tig's face. She pats his cheek and promises dessert if he behaves himself.

As Audrey goes back to work, Tig looks Happy in the eye and nods his approval before heading back to the dinner table.

Hap approaches Audrey to stand behind her. He leans his head down to her neck level, giving her a quick kiss. "You've turned another head I think, Legs."

Turning around to face him, Audrey wraps her arms around her man in a warm embrace. "As long as I'm still turning your head, that's all I care about."

Hap's eyes go dark with want and he leans down to kiss her softly. Audrey deepens the kiss, getting caught up in her response to Happy's desire. Hands are roaming a moment later, as they forget the people in the next room.

That's how Gemma finds them. "Alright you two, break it up." She says, bringing in more dishes, setting them on the counter. Happy gives Audrey a lingering kiss and a look that promised more, before leaving the kitchen. As Gemma approaches the sink she says, "This was good, thank you."

Not sure if she meant the food or the plan, Audrey commented on the biggest success. "They were all so glad to get a chance to be with you. Christ if you had a ring they would have kissed it as they paid homage to you. It was like the friggin Godfather or something." Audrey teased lightheartedly before becoming more serious. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm alright. It was good for me too." Gemma admitted.

"I'm glad. Well let's not waste any more time in here, I can do the dishes later. Go on back out there. I'm going to run outside for a minute to check on Daisy, then I'll be back to serve dessert, ok?"

This morning when Audrey had checked on Daisy, she could tell by her restlessness that labor would be very soon. She'd called Tristan and put her on alert. Audrey had been checking on the mother-to-be every hour and now as she took her temperature she noted the drop and knew labor was imminent. Going back in the house, she called Tristan and told her the news. Walking back into the dining room, she whispered to Happy what was going on before recruiting Gemma to serve the coffee and dessert. With Gemma's agreement, Audrey changed her cloths and headed to the barn.

Elliot Oswald could sense the excitement in his daughter at the impending birth of these puppies she's been waiting for. He'd insisted on driving her over; she'd just gotten her license last month and he didn't want her to have to drive home alone late at night. She'd rolled her eyes when he told her but she accepted it without complaint. As they came to a stop in front of the house, Elliot noted the many vehicles in the drive. There were a lot of people here, he wasn't expecting that. Before he can say anything Tristan turned to face her father "Ok Daddy, thank you for the ride, I'll call you if I need a ride home. I'll probably be late. I love you, bye." The last words were barely out of her mouth before all he could see was her back as she raced to the barn. Elliott got out of the car and was about to head to the front door when he heard voices out back. Heading in that direction he found Clay, Jax and a few other men standing in the back yard having a smoke.

He as spotted as soon as he rounded the corner of the house. Clay greeted him with a hand shake. "Elliot, welcome. I just saw your daughter run past her on her way to the barn. She looks happy man, I'm glad for her."

"I am too, believe me." Elliot admitted. "Audrey has been wonderful with her; this turned out to be just what she needed." Looking around at the men, he asks, somewhat uncomfortably, "Are we interrupting something? I didn't realize you would all be here."

Gemma had heard Elliot's question as she stepped outback holding her grandson. "Relax Elliot, it's just a family dinner. We didn't expect the added excitement." Handing Abel over to Jax she continues, "I was just going to put coffee on and serve dessert, why don't you stay and join us?"

Elliot agreed, not sure how his daughter would feel about having all these men around. He wasn't sure how he himself felt about it. He trusted Clay to a point, having made a gentleman's agreement with him just a few days ago, but his daughter's safety and comfort were his priority in this situation.

Clay, wanting to cultivate this growing relationship introduces Elliot around trying to get him to feel more at ease.

It works. By the time Gemma serves dessert Elliot relaxes, realizing this really was just a large family dinner. Clay passes out some of Zobelle's pricey cigars and the men all head back outside to lite up. Elliot actually enjoyed the company of the men; it was a welcome change of pace for him. They talked about Abel and horses and Charming politics, among other things, these men surprising Elliot with their vast interests. When he got ready to leave, Clay assured him that they would get his daughter home safely, and Elliot trusted that to happen. He was glad he'd stayed, now having the peace of mind he needed to leave his daughter here so late.

Audrey entered the pen and headed to the far corner where Daisy had chosen to nest. Seeing the dog pant heavily between whimpers, Audrey knelt down and examined the dog. Placing her hand on the dog's belly she could feel the contractions. It shouldn't be long now. She sat with Daisy and gave her reassurance until Tristan could get here. She wanted to wait for her before prepping for the delivery; she had promised the girl she would let her be a part of the whole experience.

When Tristan arrived she was excited and waiting for instructions. "There's a box for the pups there on the bench. You need to go in the house and get the heating pad from the hall closet and some clean towels-not the good ones please, the ones for the animals are on the bottom shelf in the mud room."

Tristan ran to find the items she needed wanting to get back so she didn't miss anything. When she got to the house, she was stopped repeatedly and asked questions. It seemed everyone was curious about the pups being born. Tristan answered as best she could and hurriedly went back out to the barn with her supplies. She lay the heating pad in the bottom of the box as Audrey instructed, laying a towel on top of the pad.

Audrey invited Tristan into the pen and the girl took a seat near the dog's head, to pet and reassure the mother-to-be. This was why their bonding had been so important; Daisy now trusted them both to help her with the delivery. Luckily Daisy had no really problems with the birthing process. When the first pup was born, Daisy did not seem to grasp the need to remove the membrane from the pup so as each pup was born, Audrey would tear off the membrane and tie off the cord before handing the pup to Tristan to clean off and put back down in front to the new mother, who then licked the pup. They did this successfully five times. Audrey waited for the last afterbirth to pass and for Daisy to ingest as much of the nutrient rich placenta as she was going to before moving the dog to replace the bedding. The pups seemed healthy for now, one little runt needed to be watched closely, but for now, they were all safe.

Four hours after it began, Audrey finished the cleanup and went to stand near Tristan and put an arm around her shoulders. It was approaching 1am and the teen looked tired but still in awe of what she had just experienced. Audrey tightened her grip and hugged Tristan closer, both needing to share their feelings of joy from what they had just happened. "Was it what you thought it would be?" She asks gently.

Without taking her eyes off the dogs, Tristan replies simply "More. Thank you so much." Turning into her mentor, she gave her a fierce hug.

"Come on, let's put the puppies in their box for now; we need to get you home. You can come back tomorrow."

Tristan reluctantly left the barn and followed Audrey into the house. "Let me just grab my keys and I'll drive you home."

"I'll do it Audrey" came Juices voice from the living room.

"Are you ok with that?" Audrey asks turning to Tristan. At the girls nod, she hands over the jeep keys to Juice. Watching them leave, she turns to the kitchen to start clean up in there. Dinner was hours ago and she didn't look forward to what she'd find. Entering the room, Audrey looked up to find the dishes washed and stacked neatly, ready to be put away. Audrey smiled and gave a silent 'thank you Gemma' and started to put away the dishes. As long as her day was, and as tired as she felt, the adrenalin was still flowing through her system, not quite ready to let go. She heard Goliath pad into the kitchen before she felt him butt his head against her hip for attention. She knelt down to give her old friend some attention. "Don't worry big guy, you know I'll always love you best." Audrey tells him, with a kiss to the top of his head before standing back up.

"Now, I really hope you don't mean that." Came the gravelly voice from the doorway.

"Aw, Hap, don't be jealous now, Goliath was here first."

"But he can't love you like I do." He says making his way closer. Goliath chuffed when he lost Audrey's attention, but went to lay down leaving Happy and Audrey to pick up where they left off before Daisy went into labor.

"No one loves me like you do, Hap" Audrey tell him as she leans in to give his a kiss and let's her hands wander around his back and under his shirt. "But I think you should remind me anyways."

Not wanting to be interrupted when Juice returned, Happy steered Audrey to the stairs so they could continue in privacy. "You're not gonna fall asleep on me, are you?" Hap asks, teasing. "I'm not sure my ego could take that."

Audrey continued her assault on his lips as her hands roamed over his lean, hard body. "No worries. I've got my second wind. In fact you can do me a service by fucking me into a nice relaxing coma."

So he did. He set her body aflame then sucked and fucked all remnants of adrenalin out of her body. With a murmured thank you and a kiss to his chest she fell into an exhausted much needed sleep.

Hap lay there holding his sleeping woman, his hand smoothing the hair around her face in a repetitious pattern. He liked this time in bed, holding her when she was sleeping. Many nights he wondered how he got here. This was never the plan, but that never really bothered him. His life since he met Audrey was better. Not really different so much as more. Life felt bigger; less empty. Hap knew he was given a gift and he wasn't giving it back.

His thoughts changed to club concerns; the real reason for his sleeplessness. Things were hairy right now and he wondered if they could get out of this current situation unscathed. Plus they were still facing probable jail time on the weapons charges. Jax's idea to diversify the MC's business holdings was looking better and better. Living outside the law and on the fringe of normal society made the Sons an easy target. An obvious solution would be to rebuild the Porn biz. Most all of the Cara-Cara snatch was still in town, so once the insurance money came through they needed to get that back up and running. It wound at least be source of income until they could get rid of the Feds and Zobelle. They needed to convince Clay. Clay, for his part, seemed to be working on something with Oswald, and Hap thought that could possibly lead to something more. Things could be turning in the right direction for the club. They needed to eliminate Zobelle and Weston, lose the Feds, and get the weapons charges dropped. It was a tall order, but a lot was a stake for them all. They needed to make it happen.

Audrey shifted in his arms and made a contented sound as she fell into a deeper sleep. He'd continued to stroke her hair while he'd been thinking; she always made noises when he did that. He kissed her forehead and, using the hand that had been playing with her hair, he pulled her closer to his body. Turning slightly on his side, he shut his mind down for the night, his body seeking her heat as his legs tangled with hers. _This was the definitely the best way to end a day_, was his last thought before his need for sleep took over.

Juice slowly got in the jeep, the muscles in his back protesting at the stretch. He waited for Tristan to buckle up before heading out. Glancing at the girl, he smiled at the excitement still apparent on her face. Her words confirmed where her mind was.

"I still can't believe they were finally born, it was so cool Juice. Aren't the puppies adorable?"

Juice had to agree. Once the pups were cleaned off, he'd gotten a glimpse of them huddled together in the box. He even got to hold one for a few minutes.

"Thank you for bringing me home. I can't believe my father wouldn't let me drive over. He said he didn't want me driving late at night."

"Don't be too made at him; you just got your license, and he's a concerned father. And I don't mind bringing you home."

"You're very sweet. My parents are so overprotective of me. I know it's because of what happened, but sometimes I don't want to be considered a child or too fragile. It's frustrating."

This was the first time Tristan had mentioned, even casually, her rape to Juice. He chose to let her do the talking.

Changing the subject, Tristan continued her chatter. "You know what I'd really like to do? I'd like to learn to ride someday, would you teach me?"

Avoiding her question Juice asked one of his own. "Have you been on a bike?"

"Yes when I was younger my dad would take me out with him. He never rides anymore, I wish he would."

"Why'd he give it up?" Juice asked, surprised to find out Oswald use to ride. He hadn't mentioned it tonight, even when they talked about riding.

"I think he lost his joy. He loves his family but he's not happy at home. My mother is difficult. I love her because she's my mother, but she makes it hard. When I see my parents together, I see a couple staying together out of necessity and religious beliefs, but I don't see love. He's a good man who's married to a cold woman. It's like he just gave up and is living out the life he has. I want him to be happy again." With a quick change of subject, "So would you teach me?"

"Well, I'd be glad to if you got permission from your parents, but, after all you've told me, maybe your Dad would like to teach you? You should ask him, maybe it will be good for him too."

Tristan looks over at Juice. She never quite looked men in the eye, And now she was glad he was driving so she didn't have to meet his gaze but she could study him. She's disappointed he didn't just agree to her idea, but she knew the awkwardness of the situation for him. But as she considers what exactly he says, she realizes he offered up a possible solution to the problem she was just complaining about. Smiling at him she agrees. "You know, that's pretty good advice. You sound like you have a lot of experience with family."

Juice shakes his head sadly. "No, not really. But if I ever become a father, I'd want my kid to ask me to share my experience and teach him something that I enjoy."

"Then you'll make a fine father someday, Carlos." She blushes a little at her use of his given name, but doesn't back down. She wonders about his home life, but seeing as they were approaching her home, she knows she has no time for that conversation. As the jeep comes to a stop she unbuckles her seatbelt and hops out. Before closing the door she meets Juice's eyes and says goodbye to her friend. "Thank you for the ride, and the advice. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Anytime", Juice says with a friendly smile as he waits for her to get inside before pulling away. He was puzzled by the good feeling inside him after their talk. Good Advice? Him? He didn't really believe it, but he wanted to. And she seemed sincere, crush or no crush. Shrugging that good feeling away like he didn't deserve it Juice aimed the jeep towards his temporary home. It was nothing really anyways.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 24

He sat and watched the house waiting for the right moment. He could feel his plan unraveling. Zobelle was pulling back he could sense it. Now getting cut out of deals? Weston wasn't going to stand for it. He lost credibility when he didn't get the job done with Gemma Teller. That bitch didn't talk. He'd respect her for it if she wasn't a woman and hadn't ruin his fucking life. SAMCRO should have been a non issue for Zobelle by now. Zobelle was disappointed in him for not getting the job done and was cutting him out to punish him. He needed to get SAMCRO to react. He needed to make Mrs. Morrow tell her secrets or find another way to hurt the club. He needed Zobelle's connections to make more money for the cause. He needed to secure his place in Zobelle's organization. He needed to act now.

"No way Legs, I draw the line at you taking in strays of this variety." Hap teases as he walks into the kitchen finding her at the counter with one hand holding the remnants of a bottle and the other arm full of baby. Jax's kid. "What's up?" He asks with a gesture towards the kid.

"The nanny got called out of town, family emergency. Tara's still on shift from last night, Jax has business, and Gemma took off for the day, I guess."

"You must be tired, you had a long day yesterday and were out in the barn before I even woke up this morning." He takes in her appearance, her flushed skin and happy smile erased all signs of the hard day she had, and her lack of sleep.

As if she didn't hear him, Audrey, lost in her own train of thought blurts them out. "You know I never wanted kids, not really. Besides the biological urge, that is. I always felt selfish about my time, and unwilling to give it up."

Hap starts at this surprising topic of conversation, taking a physical step back. "Are you going some where with this?"

Audrey stares at Abel not quite ready to look Hap in the eye, afraid of what she'll see. She notices he backed up at her words. "Not now I'm not. I'm just curious as to your thoughts on this subject?"

He stared long and hard at her tightly held frame and watched as Abel slapped is tiny hand against her chest a few times before grabbing her skin and leaning his head against her shoulder, shutting his eyes. Happy could tell she was nervous asking him, she probably hadn't meant to even have this conversation. He approved of her brave approach admiring that quality in her even as her question made him uncomfortable. "I've never thought about it seriously. My lifestyle choices, and all that. I will say that the idea of seeing you pregnant with my child does have a certain caveman appeal." He smirks as he walks towards her, wrapping his arm around her unencumbered side. He looks down into Abel's sleeping face, a milky bubble forming at his lips. Hap raises his hand to her face to make her look at him. "Is this something you're considering?"

"More like information for future reference." She watched his face for a reaction but all he did was shrug at her brushing off of the question. Audrey continued, "I don't know that my selfish needs have changed enough to seriously consider it."

"You keep calling yourself selfish and you're not. Look at the work you do. The animals you nurture, our friends that you care for, the way you take care of me? None of that is selfish."

Looking up at the man she loved, she thinks he deserves an honest response to his previous question. "I never seriously considered it before. But being with him all day, and thinking about having your child inside of me, gave me butterflies. I don't know where they came from. Before, whenever I imagined having a child I was a single parent. And that was another big reason, I decided against it. I'd want my child to have the experience of both parents. I could never see myself in a family with anyone before." She watches his face, but still he gives nothing away. "I'm sorry Hap, am I scaring you again?"

"Why, can you smell my fear?" He says with a smirk before leaning in to steal a kiss. It had the right affect, calming her crazy fear of him running screaming for the door while still dodging her question.

"This conversation is kind of freaking me out. I think I'll repress it now. Can we stop talking?"

"Done" Hap tells her, kissing her once again before heading out back. He still had an hour or so of daylight and he needed to finish Audrey's hen house. He'd finished his shift and because he needed to steer clear of Alvarez, Hap came home while Clay, Jax, Tig, Chibs and the Prospect went to the meet.

As he made his way to the back, he looked across to the barn and saw the Oswald girl, tending to the bitch and her new pups. Nodding in her direction, he got to work on the task at hand. While his hands got busy, so did his mind. He started thinking about the conversation that just happened in the kitchen. She'd caught him off guard and he wasn't sure how he felt about the subject. He'd been honest with Audrey, but kept his answers vague. He didn't want to be responsible for a child. He'd always made sure to be safe cause he didn't want a kid to pop up one day out of the blue and call him daddy. He didn't lie about the appeal of seeing Audrey pregnant with his kid. His response to that visual was primal and it actually turned him on. But what about after? Could he be there for a kid? Did he want to? Hap was glad Audrey seemed as conflicted about it as he was. God damn Jax, stirring the pot by leaving is kid here.

He'd hit 60 before the kid was fully grown. Actually he'd probably already be dead by then, given the nature of his work with the club. Children have no place in his life. Then he thought about Audrey. A child would be lucky to have her. He hopes she forgets about the whole conversation, but he knew that would be impossible. If she decides this is what she wants, would he be able to deny her? Did he want to? A kid. Shit. He watches and nods as the Oswald girl waves goodbye, stopping at the house quickly before jumping in her car and heading home. What if what happened to Oswald's daughter ever happened to his? He'd watched the man last night and saw how protective he was of his daughter. Fuck this, he was not worrying about a kid he didn't even have. Putting those thoughts out of his head, Hap starts up the generator for the air compressor and continues on with his work.

Audrey rolls her eyes at herself for that crazy assed conversation. Sometimes she wished that she kept her feelings to herself a bit longer than she did, especially in this situation where her feelings waffle back and forth. Oh well, too late now. And she really wasn't worried, Hap never held her honesty against her. She kind of loves that about him, she thinks a smile coming to her face as she lay the sleeping boy in the pack n play Jax dropped off with Abel this morning.

Audrey is still standing there watching Abel sleep when she hears the knock at the front door. As she gets closer she calls out, "What did you forget, Tristan?" Turning the knob she felt, too late, that she'd made a mistake.

Juice can't believe this is happening. His heart is pounding as he leans over and drops his gun. He watches as Weston holds his 9mm to Audrey's head, his other hand around her neck. "Sit down!" Weston yells at Juice pointing to the chair his accomplice retrieved from the dining room. The third man comes in the front door and nods a Weston. Weston sneers and orders the man to secure Juice. Pulling a roll of duct tape from his pack, the masked man wraps Juices ankles to the chair legs, his wrists behind his back, and around his torso to the back of the chair. Juice is powerless to fight with the barrel of Weston's gun against Audrey's temple.

For her part, Audrey fights the feel of his hands on her body until the other man points his gun into the crib. She feels Weston's hot breath against her neck as he presses his body fully against hers. "If you play nice with me, I'll let the kid live. Either way, I'll have you." He runs his hands under her shirt, squeezing her breast hard. "So what's it gonna be? Someone will be punished for fucking up my plans, I'll guarantee that. I can force you or you can give yourself to me and I'll spare your baby a bullet in the brain."

Audrey can't respond verbally; she looks over at Abel and gives a slight nod without looking at the man in front of her.

"Good, now take off your clothes, I want to watch you participate. I'm not gonna take you, you're going to give yourself to me-the way it should have been." Weston spits out the last part, stepping back to get a better view.

Audrey eyes the baby; the second man still has a gun pointed at Abel so she does as she's told, her mind trying to come up with a way out of this situation. She fights back tears and tries not to think about what is coming next. _Where is Happy?_ She can still hear the generator outside, maybe he doesn't know they are in trouble. _Come on Hap, come to the house._

Taking in her naked form, Weston runs his hands down her body. Turning her around so her back it to him, he presses her against the wall while gliding his hands over her back and legs almost reverently. His gently turns her around to face him again, looking her up and down. "Look at this beautiful pristine skin; creamy white and no ink. Who'd have thought it? Look at you, so pure. To bad you are wasting yourself on someone who doesn't deserve it. I bet he likes all this unblemished skin for the same reasons I do. Why do you let him violate you?"

"He'll kill you!" She yells at him, the anger clear in her voice.

Weston laughs. "Darlin', he won't be killing anyone ever again. Your man is lying face down in the dirt out back."

The generator sputtered to a halt, having run out of gas, bringing an almost eerie silence to the yard. It was only a moment before it was broken by the deep bark of a dog. Happy opened his eye, the one that wasn't still against the ground, and became aware of the searing pain in his chest. His head pounded. He just wished the dog would shut the fuck up.

Audrey's heart pounds in her chest and she fights against the roaring of blood in her ears to stay conscious at his declaration. Since this nightmare started she was sure Happy would break down the door any minute and come running to their rescue. Weston's hands suddenly become hard against her body, roughly squeezing her delicate skin and shoving her so she has to widen her stance to avoid falling. He thrusts a knee between her open legs pressing her back against the wall as he reaches for his zipper. Audrey struggles against the violation, until Weston again reminds her why she wasn't fighting him in the first place. "Lace your fingers behind your head and leave them there. She does as she is told and looks up to see Juice struggling against his bonds. She shakes her head at him. She feels a rough hand fumbling between her legs. He was pissed that she was dry, and he slapped her for it. "You are not cooperating. Do you want me to kill your kid? Do you? Do you care more about yourself than your child?"

Her eyes burned with unshed tears. Audrey didn't know what to do; she couldn't make her body respond, but Weston was past rational thought. She should have known the minute he remove his mask. The other two kept their identities hidden, but Weston wanted to put his mouth on her. He bit hard on her neck then her nipple, all the while mumbling about her giving him back what was his. His free hand was assaulting her pussy, making her raw; bruising her sensitive flesh in his attempt to get her to respond sexually to his invasion.

With a sound of frustration, Weston let go of Audrey and placed his hand on his own hardened cock. Ready or not, the cunt would be his. He would break her. He didn't need to anymore, not after killing the Son; he wanted it. He wanted to stick it to the uptight bitch who couldn't get away from him fast enough. Once again, he stepped closer to Audrey their bodies touching. With his hand still guiding his cock, he rubbed it against her, trying to find her entrance. Fumbling around, he didn't hear the sound from the front entry.

"Back away from her you piece of shit." Gemma calls out holding the gun on Weston.

Weston, with one hand still on his dick, relies on his men to get the upper hand on this situation. Maybe now he'd get his revenge on the woman who caused all his problems. "Why Mrs. Morrow. How lovely to see you again. Why don't you put that gun down or my friend here will kill this sweet little boy."

In the time Gemma had enter the house, the masked man by the crib had lifted his gun from Abel's direction, to point his weapon at Gemma. Keeping her gun pointed at Weston, her eyes shift between the three intruders as she considers how to react. Seeing movement in the back hall, she redoubles her resolve to take out Weston. "Step away from her, Weston, or I'll shoot you where you stand."

Seeing the resolve in her eyes, Weston is not ready to give in, but he does raise his hands and step to the side. She looks slightly to the right and sees Happy with his gun drawn, pointing at the man looming over Abel. She sees that Juice has noticed Happy's presence as well and waits for Juice to look at her so he can take her lead. She nods slightly, giving the go ahead.

The room erupts in chaos and gunfire. Juice tips over his chair into the man holding the gun on him, effectively distracting the man. Hap fires first taking out Abel's captor then turning quickly to aim and fire at the third man. As soon as Gemma hears the first shot ring out, she pulls the trigger on her own gun and watches as Weston falls back against the wall. She can't take her eyes off the man, as he sightlessly slides to the floor, the hole in the middle of his forehead trickling a path of blood down his face.

"Hap!" Gemma hears Audrey call out, her voice breaking through the fog in her mind. She can't seem to put her gun down, her elbows locked and her grip tight waiting for-she doesn't know what. She just doesn't know. Weston was dead but she was waiting for him to come after her.

As soon as she saw Happy fall to the floor, Audrey raced to his side. Happy needed her, and she needed help. Screaming for Gemma, she finally got her attention. "Gemma, it's ok they're dead, please, Happy needs help. You need to cut Juice loose so he can help." Looking up from where her hand is pressing on the bleeding hole in his back, she sees the other woman start to respond and calls out "There're towels in the pantry Gemma, I need to keep pressure on his wounds! I need you to move."

At Audrey's words, Gemma came back to the present and raced to the kitchen. Gemma searches for the towels and finds a serrated knife to cut Juice's bonds. Once his wrists are free she hands him the knife so he can cut the rest off while she brings the towels to Audrey before going to pick up her screaming grandson. Audrey takes the towel being handed to her and presses that against the wound. He's no longer conscious but is still breathing.

Juice runs over to help. "He's shot in the upper left quadrant of his back, his right arm and some there's blood on his head as well, but the critical wound is to his back."

"Is he breathing?"

"Yeah. Juice, help me turn him over. We need to see if there's an exit wound."

Juice carefully rolls Happy on his right side and looks at his chest. "Yeah there's an exit wound." He says as he grabs another towel and holds it against Hap's chest.

Audrey takes command of the situation. "Juice, hold the towel in place, then lay him down on his back. We can apply pressure to his front by hand and the floor will act like a pressure dressing on his back. We need to get him off his wounded arm. Did anybody call an ambulance?"

Juice gets up to make the call when they hear sirens approaching the house. Juice calls Charming PD to let them know that the danger is over and to send in the medics. He then goes upstairs and grabs Audrey's robe from her bedroom. There was no need for anyone else to see her naked. He races back into the living room, and places the robe over Audrey's bare shoulders. She looks up at him, her brow furrowed. It took hr a moment to realize she was still exposed. Juice, his eyes cast downward takes her place holding the pressure to Haps wounds as she slides her arms into the robe and ties it tightly around her.

It seemed like hours but it was only minutes when the PD comes through the front door, guns drawn. Sure that the scene is clear, they motion for the medics to come in. They quickly take over Happy's care. Seeing the amount of blood loss, they do a quick scoop and load; they need to get him to the hospital before he bleeds out. Audrey tells them she's going with them. Chief Unser tries to stop her, saying they need her statement before she can leave. Gemma intervenes. "For Christ sake, Wayne, she's his old lady, she needs to be with him. Juice and I can tell you what happened and she can give her statement later."

With a nod from the Chief, the medics load Happy into the bus and lead Audrey to the passenger seat for the ride to the Hospital. As they pull into the emergency entrance of St Thomas, the medics quickly unload the stretcher and race into the ER.

As Audrey follows she is stopped at the door to the treatment room. She fights against the nurse to gain access until she feels arms come around her shoulder and Tara's gentle voice in her ear. "Audrey come sit down; the Doctors need to work. I'll go inside and find out how he is, ok?"

_No_, she thought as she sank to the hard plastic chair, _nothing is ok_.


	26. Chapter 26

As soon as Happy was taken away from the house, Unser waited impatiently to question the remaining witnesses. Gemma was on her phone talking to Clay all the while holding her grandson tightly.

Juice speaks up. "It was a home invasion. Weston had a gun to her head as soon as she opened the door. He used it to get me to drop my gun and they taped me to the chair. The second man held his gun on the baby. Weston thought it was Audrey's kid, and she let him believe it. She ah, she did what he told her to. He told her he wanted her to come to him willingly, or he would kill the baby. The third man came in and Weston told Audrey that they killed Happy. Things started to get bad then Gemma came in the front door and got Weston to back off Audrey while Happy came in through the back. I knocked down the one guy, Happy took out the guy on Abel, then the guy I knocked over, and Gemma took out Weston. It was all self defense."

Unser looks incredulously at Juice. "And that's it?"

"Pretty much."

"Jesus Christ, this incident is inside Charming limits. This is gonna bring more law down on us, maybe Feds and ATF for sure." Unser let's go with his frustration.

"She didn't ask to be assaulted Wayne." Gemma chastised.

Unser looked away from Gemma, guilt clear in his expression. "Sorry Gemma, I know this must be hard for you."

"Not as hard as it was on Audrey today. If you're through with us for now, I'd like to head to the hospital. This was all on Weston." Gemma lowered her voice so only Unser and Juice could hear. "This doesn't have to involve the Feds, Wayne. Weston showed up at Audrey's house a few weeks ago, and asked her out. She declined. Weston came back and attacked her. We can make a case that this was personal, not MC related."

"That's good to know. I'll be sure to pass that information on to the appropriate parties."

"You do that." Gemma says as she makes her way with Abel out to the car. "Juice, please wait here for Clay and the others, they should be here soon. Let Jax know I have Abel and he's fine, ok?"

Tara steps out of the treatment room and sees Audrey sitting stiffly in a chair, arms hugging herself as her bare left foot bounced continuously with nervous abandon.

She sits next to her friend before speaking. "Hey, he's stable, and being taken into surgery now. He has a punctured lung; oxygen was collecting in his chest and collapsed his lung but they placed a chest tube and drained out the air and blood then the lung reinflated. He's heading into surgery to stop the bleeding and repair the soft tissue wounds but it doesn't look like he will need lung surgery, which is really good news. Surgery should be short then they'll bring him to recovery; you can see him once he's out of there and in a room." Tara watched as Audrey expelled a deep breath then nodded to her friend that she understood what she had just been told. Putting a hand on her friend's shoulder, Tara broaches the next subject gently. "Audrey, are you hurt? Do you need medical attention?"

Audrey shakes her head in response to Tara's question. Knowing what she wants to ask, Audrey replies "He didn't rape me. Gemma got there in time. She killed him."

"Gemma did?" Tara was startled by that revelation. "Even if you weren't raped, we should really document your injuries just in case the law has any question of motive. Are you ok with this? I can do the exam and take the pictures if you'd like."

"Yeah, ok. I don't want Gemma getting in any trouble for saving me." Audrey let herself be led to an exam room by her friend. Tara remained quiet except for telling Audrey the steps she was taking. There was no need for an internal exam, but Tara did take external swabs and pictures of the bruising and bite marks; she also drew blood to be screened for diseases. Audrey looked down at the angry red bite marks on her right breast and wished she could will it away. It was an obvious territorial mark. She tried covering it with her hand, then she rubbed it, but that only made the skin more red.

Tara gently moved her hand away. "Audrey, hey don't. You're only hurting yourself."

"I don't want Hap to see it. I don't want him to ever see it. How long til it goes away?"

"Don't worry about that right now. Let me get scrapings from under your nails then you can have a shower, how's that."

"But Hap.." 

"By the time you're out of the shower, he'll be getting set up in his room. I'll take you to him then. I'll leave you some scubs and some flip flops to put on until we can get you some clothes."

Audrey did as Tara suggested and stepped into the shower. She refused to look down this time, already knowing what she would see. She concentrated instead on running the wash cloth lathered in antibacterial soap over her body with her eyes closed. She'd wound her hair up in a bun at the top of her head, so she didn't have to deal with washing it right now. She needed to finish up and get to Happy.

Audrey was only back in the waiting area a few minutes when Hap's doctor comes out to speak to the family. The doctor balked at telling her Happy's condition, because she was not next of kin or his medical proxy. Audrey was becoming increasingly upset when Tara stepped in speaking with the doctor and smoothing over the hospital privacy policies.

"He's very lucky. The chest tube seems to be working and his lung reinflated. He's maintaining his own airway. We got the bleeding stopped and sutured the wounds. His arm injury was a flesh wound only; no muscle damage. That has been stitched up. He most likely suffered a mild concussion from hitting his head. We'll have to see how he responds when he wakes up. The fact that he was up and functional after the initial head wound, is a positive sign, but not conclusive. He's being set up in an ICU bed for right now, so he can be monitored until he wakes up. The nurse will be out in a few minutes to bring you to him. Do you have any questions for me?"

Audrey shook her head and the doctor left. Audrey turned to find a chair to wait, her legs were a little wobbly and she was exhausted. Audrey's head quickly popped up when she heard the sound of heeled footsteps in the corridor. She relaxed at the sight of Gemma, but remained silent until she sat next to her and placed the carrier on the floor in front of her. "He ok?" Audrey asked staring at the child's sleeping form.

"He couldn't be better. Thank you for protecting him." Gemma said watching as Audrey checked him over herself.

"I'm glad. The Doctor said Hap's gonna be ok. I'm just waiting for them to settle him in a room so I can see him."

Gemma sensed from her voice that Audrey was still numb from her experiences. "That's great news. I'll let the club know. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. Thank you for saving me Gemma. I was out of options."

"That prick deserved to die. I'm glad to be the one to send him straight to hell."

"Me too." Audrey agreed before being interrupted by the nurse arriving to take her to Happy. Before following the nurse, Audrey turned to Gemma, "You don't have to stay, I'll be fine."

Gemma shot her a warning look and said, "I'm not leaving you here by yourself. I'll wait until the relief crew gets here. I'm here if you need me."

Audrey nods before turning and following behind the nurse into the ICU. "He's still out from his surgery, but it shouldn't be much longer. He needs to rest, so don't overtax him when he wakes up. Push the call button when he does wake, so we can check his responses, ok?"

The nurse was clearly looking for an indication that Audrey was paying attention. She looked the nurse in the eye and acknowledged her request. They entered a room, and Audrey got her first look at Happy. Her heart surged at seeing him breathing, but her fears were not assuaged. She makes her way to the bed and runs the back of her hand along his cheek and across his jaw. She feels a little better at the warmth of his skin. Her other hand grabs his hand and squeezes it. She didn't know if he knew she was there, but it made her feel better. She bent down and kissed his dry lips, not taking her eyes off him for a second.

After getting her fill of assuring herself that he was ok, her exhaustion started to set in again. Looking around she found another one of those hard-assed plastic chairs in the corner, and she pulled it next to Happy's sleeping form and sat down heavily. She again grabbed his hand and began talking to him, telling him that everything was fine, they were all fine. With her other hand she traced the patterns on his tattooed arm, a favorite pastime of hers when they share a bed. In her head it somehow made her feel closer to him. She needed that right now. She felt herself becoming more tired, her mind wanted to shut down, but her fingers kept moving.

"You're gonna wear a hole in my arm if you keep that up." 

Audrey sat up straight startled form her semi conscious state by the voice she longed to hear. Once she became alert, she smiled down at him. "You always say that."

He'd obviously been awake for a few minutes before he spoke, based on how awake he seemed now. She saw his questioning eyes bore into her. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine Hap, all of us are fine, and you will be too." Audrey informed him as she pushed the call button. "You need to be still though; you have a chest tube in place. The bullet punctured your lung but the doctors assured me you would be ok. How do you feel?"

"Audrey" was the only word her got out before the nurse came in to check on him, informing them the doctor would be in shortly. Audrey knew by the warning tone when he said her name that he wanted details. To be honest, Audrey was glad for the interruption. When the doctor asked her to step out during his examination Audrey stepped back into the waiting area to look for Gemma. Seeing the matriarch still sitting where she left her, Audrey smiled at her savior. "He's awake, they're just checking him over now."

"That's good; he'll be home with you before you know it."

"Yeah, I'm relieved. Speaking of home, I don't know what to do. The animals need to be tended to, and I've got nobody. There's no way Elliot will let Tristan help me after what happened. Fuck, 10 minutes earlier and she would have been caught up in that whole mess."

"Don't worry about them for right now. I called Juice, he's taking care of everything. Clay called Elliot and told him what happened. Then Tristan got stubborn and insisted that her dad bring her to your place so she could take care of the puppies. She should be there by now." Gemma paused then tried to lighten Audrey's mood. "I think we're rubbing off on her, what do you think?"

Audrey gave a half hearted laugh. "You may be right although I'm not sure Elliot will appreciate it. Thank you, Gemma, for handling that. I don't want to leave him yet."

"That's what I do. I handle problems that come up for the club and for family. You are a part of that now. We do what ever is needed for family. By the way, you need to hear this now because I don't know when the cops will come to take your statement. I told Wayne about Weston coming to the house before and asking you out. I put the bug in his ear that this was a personal attack not MC related. We need to go with that, understand?"

Audrey was about to respond when she sees the Doctor leave Happy's room. She quickly nods in Gemma's direction, then stood up and waited for him to speak. "He's doing well. There are no outward signs of lingering concussion symptoms and the chest tube is doing its job. He just needs to remain still for the next few days as he's healing. We'll monitor him for a few more hours here in the ICU then, barring any unforeseen complications, we'll move him to a regular room in the morning. Now that I'm not concerned about concussion complications, I've ordered an increase in his pain medication. You can go back in, just know he'll probably be groggy and go back to sleep once he takes the pain meds. It's the best thing for him right now."

"Thank you Doctor." Audrey says and she watched him walk away before she sat back down.

Gemma looked at her curiously before taking a seat next to her. "What's up? Why aren't you running back in there to see him?" 

Audrey shrugged and looked down. "It's not that I don't want to see him, I told him I'm fine but he'll want answers, and I'm not sure…" she let her words die out but Gemma understood.

"He's concerned for you, that's all. Just reassure him that Weston didn't do what Hap thinks he did, then sit with him til he falls asleep." Gemma watch as Audrey continued to sit there. "Audrey, I know you may not want to talk about what happened just yet. I get that you need to wrap your head around it first. But you need to get your ass in that room and let that man know Weston didn't rape you. Because from what I saw when I came in your front door, I'd say it's a question weighing on his mind. He won't be able to rest until her hears that from you."

Audrey felt her eyes start to burn then straightened up when Gemma chastised her. "I'm being stupid, I'm so fucking tired I can't think." Standing up she hugged Gemma. "Thank you for everything you've done for me tonight, including setting my ass straight. I needed that. I'm gonna go in now."

As Audrey hugged Gemma goodbye she heard her whisper, "You just need to stay strong til the morning. Set that as your goal and you'll be fine. It's not forever, just til morning, right?" 

Audrey nodded her agreement, and headed back into Haps room. 

"Hey" she smiles at him as she enters the room. "Sorry I took so long, I was talking with Gemma."

She makes her way closer to the bed. Taking his hand in both of hers, she looked him in the eyes. "He didn't rape me; he assaulted me. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, that, I thought you knew. I think I'm exhausted and not thinking straight."

She saw the look of relief cross his face before the concern set back in. "What did he do? What do you mean assaulted. You need to tell me."

"I'm fine, really Hap." She assured him again. "Can we just talk in the morning? Please?" Changing the subject, as she often does mid conversation, she asks. "The Doctor said he increased your pain meds, shouldn't you be getting sleepy by now?"

"Na, I gotta push the button first. I wanted to talk to you, make sure you were alright before I took anything."

"Hap, I think we both need some rest. Take the meds; I'll still be right here in the morning, I promise."

Reluctantly, he agreed and soon drifted off to sleep, while she once again took his hand in hers and watched him sleep. A few short minutes later, she lost the battle to keep her own eyes open.

By 8 the next morning Juice walked through the hospital doors and made his way to the room they had just moved Happy into. Gemma sent him on a mission to pick up Audrey and bring her home and to not take no for an answer. He wasn't looking forward to that conversation.

Knocking softly on the closed door, he enters the room. He finds Hap awake and Audrey in the most uncomfortable looking position he could imagine. She sat with her legs under the chair, her feet wrapped around the front legs so she wouldn't fall off. Her body was bent forward, her head lying on the bed next to Hap's hand, which was slowly stroking her hair. She was out. "She's exhausted."

"She's earned it." Juice says with admiration "She's a brave girl Happy."

"Tell me."

"She hasn't?"

"Not yet"

"She will"

"She needs the sleep."

"It's too late, I hear that sexy rumble, and it goes straight to me doodah."

Hap smirks at her and tosses a glance at Juice to bring him to her attention."

Audrey turns around to find their not alone. "Oops"

Juice watches as Audrey rubs her eyes in an effort to become more alert. She sits up straight unwrapping her legs from the chair and stands up to stretch her legs and crack her back. She takes the cup of coffee Juice offers gratefully. "So what's the news?"

"All three men are dead. The house is still cordoned off as a crime scene. The county sent over a team from Lodi this morning and they are still there collecting evidence. Unser said he would get on them to get the house cleared as soon as possible. I've gone back to my apartment I have the kitten with me, Jax took Goliath with him. Daisy's still in the barn. Tristan and Elliot showed up to care for the dogs and the birds. It's Saturday so she will be available for the next two days to help out."

"I heard vague rumors to that effect. Gemma said Tristan stood up for Daisy and plead her case to her dad."

"Yeah, he insists on accompanying her though." Juice added.

"I can't say as I blame him." She said dejectedly.

"Well, the cops let me pack you a bag, and I have it in the jeep. Tara said you could stay at her house as long as you need."

Audrey nods in acknowledgement. Juice shifts nervously. "So can I drive you over there? You look like you could do with some more sleep."

"I do need to go and check on everything soon, but I need to talk to Happy first. Can you wait for me?"

"Yeah, I'll be outside."

Turning back to Hap she asks "You doing ok?"

"Yes, I'm more concerned about you, you look like shit."

"Thanks." Her hand went to her face which she was sure looked a site; she could feel the swelling still and the bruising would be showing by now.

"That's not what I meant" Hap said as softly as his gravely voice would allow.

"I know. I could use about 10 more hours of sleep and I'm sure it shows." She sat back down and entwined her fingers with his. "I was careless yesterday, I thought it was Tristan at the door. He threatened to kill Abel if I didn't do what he said. His hands were on me, and he left some marks but, I was honest last night when I told you he didn't rape me." She looked into her lovers eyes. "Is that enough for right now?"

"For now. I will get Juice to tell me his side."

"Don't blame Juice, Hap. I'm the idiot that opened the door. He had a gun to my head before Juice could do anything. And Juice was great afterwards. He took care of me the best he could. He was a good friend to us."

"I'll keep that in mind. No go check on your animals, I know you're not leaving to go sleep. When you come back we'll talk more."

"You know me so well." She bent down and placed her hand on his scruffy head rubbing her thumb across his forehead and kissed his welcoming lips. "I love you Hap. I'll be back soon."


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Hap had barely closed his eyes after Audrey's departure before he startled at the sound of the door being shoved open hard. His hand reached for a non existent gun before he spots Tig's face come around the door, followed by Clay and Bobby. "You asshole, good thing for you I'm not armed or I'd a blown a hole through you."

Bobby shrugged off the pack he was carrying and laid it on the bed. Reaching inside he removes a new 9mm and hands it to Happy. "No need for you to feel unprotected brother. Your own gun is now in the possession of Charming PD. This will have to do for now. There's some clothes and shit in there too."

"Thanks man. I appreciate this." Looking at Tig as he fingers the gun he hides his smirk behind a glare, "Next time you better knock."

Clay steps forward and shakes Happy's hand. "So we hear you're gonna recover, but you'll be stuck here a couple-three days."

"Yeah well, it's better than the alternative."

"So what happened man?" Tig asks but he couldn't resist the dig. "How'd some lackey get the jump on you?"

Hap glared at Tig again, this time there was no underlying mirth. Hap blamed himself enough for what happened in that house, he didn't need Tig to remind him he fucked up and almost lost everything.

Clay reaches over and grabs the gun off the bed and tucks it in the back of his jeans. "Just a precaution." He says as he shoots Tig a WTF look. Turning back to Hap, he asks "So what the hell happened?"

Hap sighed and told his story. "I didn't hear him come up behind me. I was working out back and had the air compressor was on. I felt the hit, the force of it propelled me forward and I hit my head on the corner of the new construction. I must have been out of it for a while, cause the next thing I know I woke up with a face full of dirt and the dog was barking his ass off. The dumbass shooter didn't check to see if he finished the job, so I was still breathing and still had my gun. I got up and made it to the back door and saw…Audrey was against the wall. Weston that fucker had his hands where they didn't belong. Juice was secured to a chair, Gemma has her gun trained on Weston and I was trying to get a bead on the other two fuckers. Gemma saw me and we made our move. I took out targets 2 and 3, and Gemma put a bullet in Weston's brain. I hit the floor and that's the last thing I remember until I woke up here."

Clay breaks the silence. "So Hap how's your old lady doing anyway?"

Hap stiffens. "She'll be ok." He states vaguely, not about to open a conversation about what happened or didn't happen to her. No one was surprised that he did elaborate; Hap never spoke in detail about his personal life. He knew they could find out from Gemma and Tara, without him having to try and say it out loud. "Do we know how this is all gonna shake out with the law?"

"Gemma put a bug in Unser's ear about Weston's prior visit to your house. The story is that Weston became obsessed after Audrey turned him down and he wanted to take his revenge. This will all go away as self defense, with no ties to guns or ATF. We may have a problem with some unregistered hand guns, but that's it."

Happy visibly relaxed at Clay's words. Now that his mind was set at ease he wanted to know what else he missed. "Did you meet with Alvarez?"

"Yeah we made the meet. I informed Marcus of Zobelle's federal connections and he's grateful to the Son's for the information. The Mayans have a protection run later this evening. It seems s high profile business man needs to get out of Charming in a hurry and requested an escort." Clay spoke with a smile, knowing the likelihood of Zobelle getting out of town alive were slim, especially with the intercept plan he'd worked out with Alvarez. "We also discussed the possibility of working together, or at least a truce, instead of doing the Feds the favor of killing each others members. Alvarez knows the heroine pipeline will dry up and he'll need other resources. His situation isn't that different than our current problems with the Irish. The details are sketchy right now, but there is a tentative peace in place. There's work to be done but Marcus has seen the light."

"That's good news."

"Yeah" Clay agreed before moving on. "There's more. I'm not sure how good this next piece of information is but from what I'm hearing the Irish did some house cleaning. Jimmy O did not take kindly to Edmond ratting to the feds about the guns. It was bad business. ATF found Edmond and his girlfriend, Zobelle's _daughter_ dead at the Irish safe house. We're not sure what, if anything happened to Cameron. I've got a call in to Unser to see if we can get ATF's take on the situation. It was a busy day yesterday."

All the men silently nodded in agreement at that last statement.

* * *

Audrey was quiet, lost in her own thoughts as she and Juice left the hospital together. Juice attempted to make small talk on the ride back to Charming but it had little effect on Audrey. "I'll bring you right to Tara's and I can stay with you if you'd like."

"No, I need to go to the house and check on the animals."

"Are you sure? You really should get some sleep."

"They depend on me Juice, I need to make sure they are ok. I'm very proud of Tristan for stepping up but she is still a novice. I need to do this." Her resolve was evident in her tone.

As soon as they pulled up in the drive, Audrey face took on a determined look. She saw the crime scene tape and a tech approached them to stop them from entering. "This is my home. I'm not trying to get in the house yet but I do have animals out back that need tending."

"Ok. Just avoid the area to the left of the barn where the tape is. That area is still part of the crime scene." The tech said before going back to his job.

Audrey made her way around back and looked at the place he'd mentioned. Happy was shot there. He could have died right on that spot. Her body reflexively shivered but her spine stiffened. She pushed those thoughts down and got to work. _Compartmentalize, concentrate and conquer_. She entered the barn and heard a rustling in the hay and several muted whimpers. Daisy's tail wagged at the site of her keeper and she stood and made her way to the gate, her belly hanging low with milk. Audrey spoke softly to the animal and entered her domain. "Hey girl. It's been a tough few days hasn't it?" Audrey soothed, rubbing her hands over her sleek coat for a few minutes, providing them both with some reassurance. "How are your babies doing, do you mind if I have a look, sweetheart?"

Audrey made her way to the box where the puppies remained. She picked up the tiny creatures, inspecting them one at a time, before settling them down near their mother to nurse. Audrey wanted to see how they were all eating, and observe their movement. She started adding to her to-do list as she sat with the new momma. When she felt her eyes start to droop at the rhythmic motion of stroking the dog, she stood and made her way over to check on the keets before heading back to the jeep. Juice was leaning against it, just where she had left him. "Thanks for waiting. I need to take care of a few more things; why don't I drop you at the clubhouse and I'll go on from there."

"I can stay with you. I think I should stay with you."

"No!" she cut him off, her voice rising higher than she planned. Taking a calming breath, she explained. "I just need to do some things on my own, Juice. Thank you for everything you have done. This is no reflection on you, I just need some space right now, can you understand that?"

"Yes, but-"

"I want my life back to normal. I'm the only one that can make that happen. There's no one left to come after me, right? So let me do this."

Juice reluctantly agreed and stepped out of the jeep when they got to the clubhouse.

"Juice" Audrey called out stopping him in his tracks. She got out and approached him slowly. She stood directly in from of him and looked into his eyes. "Thank you for being with me through all of this. I can't put into words what your friendship and support means to me.' She started to tear up but held them at bay. "You saw me at my most vulnerable and you've been a real gentleman about it. You are a wonderful man Juice, I hope you know that." She put her arms around her stunned friend and hugged him tightly, before turning and making her way back to the jeep.

Audrey made her way to the motel she stayed at when she first came to Charming. She appreciated Tara's offer but she just wanted to be in a neutral place. She needed to decompress. Entering the nondescript room, she flung her bag on the bed and sat down, pulling it onto her lap. She was still in the hospital scrubs and wanted a shower badly. Looking in her bag she saw Juice had remembered to pack her toiletries. She grabs the smaller bag and heads for the bathroom. Brushing her teeth first, she turns the shower on to get warm. Removing her clothes she steps under the warm water and leans against the shower wall, letting the water hit her back, her muscles relaxing at the heat. She shut off her mind, letting her hands lather, rinse and condition her hair as she'd done a million times before.

Stepping out of the bathroom, Audrey reached again for her bag, this time for clothes. She had to hand it to Juice he actually thought of everything. She saw her purse at the bottom of the duffel, and took that out then reached for a pair of comfy worn jeans a t-shirt. She threw on Happy's hoodie that he'd left in her jeep a few days before. It smelled of his soap and mountain air, with a hint of motor oil. It smelled like home to her. Once dressed, she reached for her bag and pulled out her phone. Listening to her messages, she wondered if Hap had his phone on him. Dialing she waits to find out.

"Hey how are you?"

She relaxes a little more at the sound of his voice. "I'm better now. How about you, you ok?"

"Yeah, some of the guys just left. I think I'll be catching up on my sleep soon though. Are you coming back today?"

"Yeah, but not for a while, go ahead and get some rest. I got a call from Unser; he wants me to stop by the station and give my statement. Then based on what he tells me I'll need to make some arrangements. And I want to go see Goliath. I'm not sure how he'll be without me around." Audrey said with concern.

"Well, give him some extra attention cause he may have saved us all. He was relentless with his barking until I got up off the ground and went to find you. I don't think he gave a shit about me but I think he knew you were in trouble."

"Well then, I'll give him a treat and tell him it's from you." She teased, knowing the dog had not quite accepted Happy's presence in their lives. But maybe that's changed now. "Can I bring you anything?"

"Just you."

"That I can do. I'll see you a little later Hap. I love you."

"Me too." She smiled at his gruff response and hung up, now eager to finish her to do list so she could get back to the hospital. She felt better, less stressed, after talking to him. She knew she evaded some of his questions last night and she hadn't been sure how he would react with her making him wait for answers. This call let her know he was willing to let her have a little space, and she appreciated it more than she could say. It also made her want to get back to him that much sooner.

* * *

Only a half a second after she rang the bell, Audrey heard the sound she was longing to hear. It was followed shortly by a flash of the curtain and the door swinging open. Goliath pushed his squirming body past Tara and out the door pressing himself against Audrey's side. He alternated between a whimper and a chuff as he leaned his full body weight against her. Leaning down she hugs her big guy giving him lots of stimulating rubs. His tail thwacked wildly against the back of her leg. Audrey laughed with joy and their reunion. "I missed you too, big guy."

When finally Goliath is calm, Audrey greets her friend. "Hi Tara, sorry to bother you, I just needed to see my special guy."

"Does Happy know about his competition?"

"Yeah, but I'm hoping they can work something out."

Tara laughed "Good luck with that. Can you come in, maybe have a cup of tea?"

"Tea sounds great, Thanks." Audrey replied stepping into the house, Goliath still at her side. Audrey sat on the couch and continued to lavish attention on the dog while Tara was in the kitchen. The doctor soon returned with a tea tray. Pouring herself a cup Audrey leaned back and asked "So where's Jax and Abel?"

"They are probably still visiting Happy, they left just before you got here. We both thought you'd be at the hospital."

"I'm going back when I leave here. I just gave Unser my statement, and, like I said, I needed to see him." Audrey nodded towards the dog. "I wanted to make sure he is well behaved without me being with him. He can get to be a handful."

"He's restless and I think he was brooding earlier." Tara smirked. "He's like a different dog with you here."

"Yeah, but he'll act up when I'm gone. I'm sorry I can't take him with me but I really need to go back to the hospital tonight."

"It will be fine I'm sure." Tara said before asking "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Doc." Audrey said pointedly.

"Hey I'm asking as your friend. I just want to know you're doing alright."

Audrey nodded and sighed, "I'm really alright. Sorry, I'm still disassociated from my police interview. Better to keep yourself remote, so you don't turn emotional, you know?"

"I know exactly."

"Another good reason to come here before going to see Hap. Now I'll be myself when I talk to him. Thanks for being my friend Tara."

"Well thanks for saving Abel's life, Audrey."

The two women sat in comfortable silence and drank their tea.

* * *

Jax walks in to Happy's hospital room carrying Abel. "Hey man, good to see you awake and breathing."

"Thanks man, good to see you."

Bouncing his son on his hip, Jax got to the point. "Well, I wanted to thank you for your part in saving my son's life. I kinda thought Audrey would be here so I could thank her too."

"She'll be here later, she's probably at your house now visiting the beast."

"No shit; that fucking bark cuts right through you."

"Hey, I can't complain it's that bark that got me up after I got shot. It fucking woke me from unconsciousness."

"That shit that went down was crazy man. I'm just glad you're gonna be alright. Is Audrey ok?"

"Mm, I think so. I'll find out when she gets here." Hap looks at the tiny boy in Jax's arm that was staring at him. "I see you brought the kid. He looks good."

"Yeah, Tara just got back from work so I took Abel so she could get some rest. And I figured Audrey might like to see for herself that he was fine."

Hap agreed. "Yeah, your right. She got all maternal watching your kid, thanks for that you fucker, I came home to a child in her arms and _the_ question on her lips."

A Jax's raised eyebrow Hap continued. "The-So what do you think of kids?-question."

"Oh, shit man, sorry. Tara just hit me with that one last week. What the fuck do you think they get together on this stuff?"

Hap thought about it. "It wouldn't surprise me if they've talked about it. I'm just glad that Audrey has someone besides me here. It makes this feel more like a home for her."

"I see it too, man. Tara is much happier now with a friend to confide in. She's less anxious about our relationship. They both seem to be settling into life in Charming. We could have done a lot worse in choosing our women Hap."

Hap agreed before changing the subject; to one he was more comfortable with. "So what's your take on everything that went down the last two days? Do you think Alvarez is on the up and up?"

"Yeah man, I believe it. I saw his face when he found out the truth about Zobelle. He needs to protect his club, same as us. I guess we'll know for sure after their protection run tonight."

"And the Irish?"

"I'm not sure there. I don't trust Jimmy at all, but Clay doesn't seem to have a problem doing business with him still. I still think it's a sure bet that dealing with the Irish is gonna bring ATF down on us hard. They just can't kill their own people on US soil and not be under investigation. And since those hits went down just outside Charming, it means more scrutiny for us. But we need fast cash so we may not have any other options."

"Maybe in the short term. Have you given up on other avenues?" Hap asked, curious to see where Jax's head was at. He did a 180 after finding out what happened to Gemma, Hap wanted to know how he felt now.

"Nah man, I am still thinking about the future of the club, but right now, we need to worry about the present. Cash is depleted, and it will take time to get other ventures in place and turning a profit."

"You need to talk to Clay about Caracara. Use that insurance money to rebuild. It will pay off; pussy is an industry that will always make big profits." Hap throws his opinion out there.

"I agree brother. Maybe now that the tensions have died down, Clay will come around. I think his main problem with porn at the time was that I wanted it. We're not in that place anymore so we have a good chance to make it happen." Jax looked over at Hap. "You got any other ideas? You seem to be investing more in the future than you have before."

Before Hap could answer, Audrey came through the door. Hap looked her over; the bruising on her face was evident, but she looked much better, more sure of herself than this morning. And she always looked good wearing his clothes.

Smiling at him, Audrey walked over and placed her hand the top of his head, giving his forehead a quick caress with her thumb, and kisses him gently. "Hi" she whispers kissing him once more before straightening up.

Hap grabs a section of her hair that had fallen on his chest as she leaned over and gave it a tug. "Hey, you look better."

"I think that's my line. The rest seems to have done you some good. Maybe I can sneak you out of here later."

"I think they're gonna take the tube out tomorrow, so you can make me that offer again after that. I'll gladly take you up on it then." He responds to her while still looking for any outward signs of distress. He watched as she turned to Jax.

"Hi Jax, how's Abel doing? I'm really sorry this happened." She adds softly.

"Audrey this is in no way your fault. You saved my son and I will be forever in your debt. Thank you for all you did." He reached his free arm out and pulled hr in close for a hug.

Abel took this opportunity to fill his hands with her hair. As Audrey pulled away she took the baby with her, his hands now tangled in the strands. "Hey mister, what did I tell you before about the hair. I'm not done with it baldy, you need to wait and grow your own." She kissed the top of his head and went about removing her hair from his strong grasp, as she continued to speak to the boy gently.

Hap watched Audrey interact with Abel, seeing her relief that he came out of this situation unscathed. She looked beautiful standing there, content in her interactions with the child. Unbeknownst to Hap, Jax was busy watching Haps reaction to watching Audrey. He smirked to himself, knowing he would use this information to bust Haps balls as soon as he was up and moving. Jax decided it was time to leave. "It's time for me to get Abel home; I'll catch up with you guys tomorrow."

Audrey passed the boy back to his father and watched as the two left the room. Turning her attention back to Happy she moved closer to give him a proper hello. As her lips left his, their eyes met and conveyed a myriad of emotion between the two lovers. "I really will be ok Hap, you need to stop worrying about me. You can ask me anything you want, and I'll tell you. I just didn't want to talk about it last night. If I did, I would have started blubbering, and been all emotional and needy."

"You are entitled to be emotional and needy after yesterday."

"Maybe, but your hospital room just hours after your surgery was not the time or place. If I had lost it last night, I would have wanted to climb into bed with you and have you hold me; and you would have let me and it would not have been good for your health, then I would have felt guilty, and I would have turned into a big thing. Now I have some perspective."

Happy did his best to follow her ramblings and got the general idea. "And what perspective is that?"

"I'm angry that it happened, I'm devastated that you were shot, and I'm sorry Abel was exposed to danger. I'm entitled to those feeling but I also needed to remind myself that it was Weston's crazy, not mine, that brought this all down on us. I'll be goddamned if I will let that prick dictate one extra minute of my life. He's dead, and you are alive. That's what matters, nothing else."

Happy remained silent so Audrey went on to give him the details as she experienced them. She was sitting on the side of his bed and, while his body was rigid, his hand was caressing her thigh in a soothing manner as she recounted her story. He listened to her intently, knowing most of the details, yet they seemed different, more painful, because they were coming from her mouth. She downplayed her attack, he knew for a fact, because he'd gotten the harsh truth from Juice.

When she was done, his hand splayed out on her leg and he squeezed to get her attention. She met his gaze and felt relief once again at what she saw there. She knew Hap loved her and that was all she wanted right now. "He'll never hurt you again. I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe, but I can't guarantee that will be enough."

"It's enough for me. I wouldn't trade my life with you for anything in the world Hap."

He felt better at her statement but still wanted her to be sure. "You know these last months since we met, have been a like a roller coaster ride. Are you sure you don't want to step off while you have the chance?"

The determination clear on her face, Audrey let's Hap know her feelings in no uncertain terms. "I'll take anything life throws at me, and roll with it. I can handle what happened-Can you?"

"I'm sorry it happened to you, I should have protected you better." He said still battling with his guilt.

"Nothing happened to me, I'm fine. I know I'll have some stuff to deal with, but right now denial is working for me. Nothing, except you deciding to end what we have, is gonna make me leave you."

Hap grabbed her hair and tugged her forward so he could show her his feelings. His kiss was full of love and possession. "No way. I'm far too selfish to let you go for your own good. That's a bunch of bullshit anyways. I don't think we'd ever be better apart than we would be together."

Audrey's eyes filled up with tears at his declaration. Before now, she hadn't been sure he felt as strongly about their bond as she did. With just one simple sentence, she knew without a doubt. She knew how much he loved her, but this was more; these words were his commitment. Staring into the murky depth of those now familiar dark eyes made her want to jump into the abyss first and ask questions later. She loved those eyes, especially what was behind them. She could do nothing but give back to him what he had given to her. With an openness that was rare for her, she let her every feeling show through. "I love you Hap and I will never leave you. There is nothing we can't make happen if we stick together."

"I'll hold you to that." Hap whispered as he shifted over in the bed, making a place for Audrey at his side.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Things in Charming slowed down in the aftermath of all the violence and the demise of both Zobelle and his grip on local trade. The white-is-right preacher/cigar king never made it out of San Joaquin County; his driver apparently lost control of the vehicle which took out several guardrails before careening off a steep embankment and exploding into flames. His death was ruled accidental by local authorities. With Zobelles death, there was no longer reason for the FBI to remain in Charming. After a cursory investigation, they decided to follow a more lucrative case. Zobelle couldn't help them anymore, so they moved on. The club was hoping this would lead to the charges against them being dropped, but that had yet to happen.

Happy signed himself out of the hospital AMA on his fourth day of hospitalization. Once the chest tube was removed and the house was cleared for them to return, he wanted to go home. Tig knew a guy in Stockton who ran a crime scene clean up business, so his crew came in immediately to get the house back in order. Audrey had stayed at the motel until then, not wanting to see the mess. She didn't really remember what the place looked like after the shooting with all the chaos, she was so focused on Happy at the time, so when she returned after the cleanup it was like coming home after being out of town for a weekend. Nothing was out of place. And that was just fine with her. She made a home in this house and she was not going to let Weston run her out of it. In fact, once she'd been back in it for a week she and Happy spoke about contacting the realtor to inquire if the owner would be interested in selling. It was an ideal spot for her job, her animals, and herself; and Happy didn't care where he lived.

She was expecting a settlement in the near future from the mining company whose dump truck plowed into her that fateful day. She hadn't thought she'd pursue it until finding out the driver was high, had a history of drug abuse, and the company didn't give him the mandatory drug testing. He also had several recent moving violations on his license. Audrey had been pissed and decided to teach them a lesson and hurt them where they live, in their bank accounts. The company had a lot of bad publicity lately including being called out on multiple safety violations, and Audrey's attorney had predicted a quick settlement offer with no trial. The details weren't yet ironed out, but she was hopeful. She couldn't afford two mortgages, and she hadn't yet made a decision as to what to do with her New York property. The settlement, hopefully, would give her more time to make that decision, but she knew better than to count on it.

Audrey had spent her time close to home, or, more accurately, close to Happy. She didn't argue with Happy about his leaving the hospital, she knew she could take care of him and they had Tara. So she pampered and doted on her man; he didn't seem to mind. She'd also thrown herself into the care of Daisy and her pups; they'd recently been given a clean bill of heath by Doc Varney. One more week and they would be out of quarantine and she could introduce Daisy to Goliath and see how that goes. She'd been working with Daisy and introducing Happy into her environment. Tristan brought her father a few times to help with the dog too. Things were slow going in that department, but at this point Daisy needed to be exposed to a male presence regularly to get her past her fears. The situation was not ideal since, in addition to her fear of men, Daisy still had puppies to protect. So several times a day, Audrey would walk Hap out to the barn and he would sit next to the pen and let her get use to having him around.

Happy had nothing but time on his hands right now as his body healed, so he indulged Audrey's request to help with the bitch. He watched Audrey tend to the pups as he sat on a hay bale next to the pen. She was so beautiful, even more so in the midst of this environment she created. Her love of what she does showed in her relaxed and contented demeanor. He wondered again if she could really be as ok with everything as she appeared. They'd talked several times about the attack and she assured him that she was fine. And she hadn't shied away from intimate contact, but they hadn't fucked. She didn't dwell on her attack, but she didn't pretend it didn't happen either.

"You're staring." She said from inside the pen.

"Can you blame me? I've had a hard on for two fucking weeks and I can't take my eyes off those legs." He countered, knowing his healing lung had something to do with the lack of sex. It still hurt like hell to breathe too deeply, his lung and ribs and chest muscles still healing slowly.

He watched a knowing smile cross her face as she walked closer to him. "I see that look in your eye Hap, you must be feeling better."

"You haven't been looking hard enough cause I've been wearing this look for days", he told her, watching as she closed the pen, leaving the pups with their mother. She was wearing these faded Levi's that hung low on her hips and were so old they were soft as butter to the touch. There was a fraying rip in the seat of the pants under her right ass cheek; _that_ was a complete tease. He couldn't tear his eyes away. She had to turn around before his eyes could refocus.

Hap stood up gingerly, the residual pain from his injury still affecting his upper body movements. He walked towards Audrey and put his arm around her waist, leading her back to the house. Once inside Audrey headed for the shower and Hap followed her upstairs minutes later and lay down on the bed, waiting for her to return. It wasn't long before she walked into the bedroom still flushed from the hot shower, and wearing just a white cotton t-shirt and panties.

Audrey hadn't expected Hap to be in their room, but she smiled with amusement as she saw him lying back against a mound of pillows. He was nothing if not persistent, and his dark eyes told her of the lust he was feeling. She walked over and knelt on the bed, moving to straddle his thighs. His hands quickly found their way to her own thighs and he ran his hands gently over the soft skin he found, his eyes working there way up to her face.

"It's been too long since I've been between your legs." Hap said as his fingers strayed over her inner thigh, teasing but not pushing his agenda. When she didn't flinch or hesitate, his hand cupped her mound over her panties and he continued to watch her reactions. She had reassured him time and again that she was fine, but still he hesitated. At her hum of pleasure, he relaxed and continued to let his hands stray.

"You have magic fingers, Hap" Audrey told him as he continued caressing her body.

His hands worked their way under her t-shirt. She'd taken to wearing them all the time since Weston. Her shirt pushed up as his hands stroked her skin higher, now skimming her ribcage. As much as he enjoyed seeing her nipples strain through the thin white cotton, he missed the feel of her skin next to his. She'd told him about the mark. She didn't pull back from him in any other way, she just insisted on the shirt. He felt her stiffen slightly as he raised the shirt farther. "Please let me."

Her body remained tense as she considered his request. He held himself still waiting for a response or reaction from her. They sat together, unmoving for several minutes and Hap knew she was making a decision. Finally, she crossed her arms in front of her and placed her hands on top of his own where they still held her sides and together they pulled the shirt off.

Hap held his breath as she exposed herself to him. He knew this was more than just showing him her body with Weston's mark; this was her trusting him with her pain and he didn't want to fuck it up. Removing the shirt was like stripping another layer of her defenses away. Deep down he hoped he would always be worthy of that trust, as he murmured how beautiful she was as his hands explored her breasts. He didn't focus on, or avoid the mark; it would fade soon enough and Weston didn't deserve to have any power over them. Pulling her down to him, his mouth now had access to her hardened nipples. He gently took one, then the other in his mouth sucking lightly.

"You are mine Audrey, only mine." He assured her, as he again pulled back to see her reaction to his ministrations. Her eyes her slightly red and glossy but her expression was one of pleasure not sadness or fear. Satisfied that she was ok with what was happening, Hap pulled at her panties wanting them gone. When she stood to remove them, his eyes never left her body. As she dropped the panties to the floor, she looked up and met his eyes. She moved her body closer, and she let her hand graze his taut abdomen as she reached for the snap of his jeans. He raised his hips to help for remove the confining clothing, his cock springing forward with relief. He watched as her eyes roamed up his body, her hands quickly following suit, as she caressed her way up his body. She stopped at his cock her lips encircling it, her mouth made a few gentle thrusts, then finding their rhythm before she swallowed him whole. _Fuck!_ After only a short time he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her mouth away from him. Her lust filled eyes had a look of confusion at the abruptness of his move, but she went with it as he moved his hands from where they were entangled in her hair to her face, pulling it closer to his own. He devoured her lips, his tongue making a home in her mouth. The more she gave back the further he pursued, now bucking his hips up so his straining cock was in contact with her very warm, very wet pussy.

At his more aggressive move she pulled away, sitting up on him, forcing his hips back down to the bed, while still holding her warmth to his uncomfortably hard dick.

"Hap, behave yourself. This slow teasing is one thing but full out sex could set back your recovery."

"Then why are we here naked in bed in the middle of the day? I'll tell you what, I'll just lay right here and let you ride me. I'll be good, I promise. " He says grabbing her by the waist.

"Oh you'll let me do all the work will you?" Audrey smiles as she mocks him, all the while grinding against his erection.

His thumb strums her bead, and she gasps at the sensation, as she moves her hips slowly against his cock.

"Ok you've convinced me. But you're gonna have to wrap up. The antibiotics make my pills ineffective." She explains as she reaches for the nightstand.

Hap's hands tighten around her waist pulling her back on top of him. She sends him a puzzled look. "Or I could just finish sucking you off, if you'd prefer." She makes a move to slide down his body, but he held firm. He lets go with one hand slipping it between her slick throbbing folds before his hand encircles his cock, leading it to her waiting entrance. He slips his head in and stops, watching her face for reaction, his own look deliberate. He clearly sees the moment Audrey understands his meaning, her face one of shock, then anxiety, then finally pure joy as she sinks down on his cock.

Audrey is almost too stunned to move at Happy's actions. As if sensing her need, he pulls her face down to his once more and puts his lips to her ear, "Let's just see what happens." kissing her ear gently.

When he says it out loud, she felt the validation of his actions and she let herself get lost in the pleasure the two of them share. She'd missed him; he'd been right when he said it had been too long since he was between her legs. True to his request she does most of the work, and she doesn't mind at all. It was an easy job to sit up and take in the magnificence of his body, as their hips met again and again in a slow deep rhythm. Both the defined lean muscle and the artistry of the tattoos were sexy as hell. Her eyes wanted to roll to the back of her head in pleasure but she doesn't want to take them off the man beneath her. He's buried so deep inside of her. She leans her body back just a little bit allowing his super hard cock to rub against that most sensitive place causing her walls to expand then contract tightly around him. She heard his groan of pleasure at his cock being squeezed, the primal sound that came from his throat made her vagina expand and contract again, taking him deeper and locking him inside of her, as her thoughts leave her mind and nothing but sheer pleasure ruled her body. Heat from their joining traveled straight up her spine and exploded at the base of her skull in a wave of mind blowing shudders then shot straight back to her vagina, her walls spasming around him, constricting again and again sucking the seed right out of his body. With a roar which was filled with both pleasure and pain, he came deep inside of her. She felt him twitching and throbbing inside of her at his release, her body shuddering again as his hand ran down her back, her mind not ready to come back to her just yet. She lay down on his chest carefully, needing to have his skin touching hers. Her own sensitive flesh found a home against his heaving chest. She could tell he was seeking control of his breathing in order to control his pain. She relaxed and let her own breath mimic his, letting him find comfort in the cadence.

As their breathing slowed to comfortable levels she lifted herself on her elbows on either side of his chest so their skin was still touching but barely. She teased him by brushing a nipple across his chest a few times, causing his cock to twitch still inside of her. She smiles at his reaction to her; loving how in tune their bodies were. "I love you Hap, so much." She tells him again, kissing his chest, right over his heart, before lifting herself off of him, moving off to one side and laying her head back down still holding him close to her.

She felt his breathing slow down and deepen with sleep as his hand stilled in her hair he'd been stroking. She knew that it had been too soon for him to exert this kind of energy and he was exhausted. She let him sleep, knowing he'd need his rest so he could attend the party tonight. She let her own mind wander over his apparent decision to more than consider having a child. His sudden actions when he'd said nothing more about it since their talk that day surprised and thrilled her. She hadn't come to a decision on that herself before tonight yet as soon as he made his intentions clear, her heart embraced the thought. After a momentary feeling of panic, it felt like the right decision. She was filled with so many good thoughts and emotions right now she felt like she could float away with happiness. She knew it was silly, but she was allowed; she'd been searching for this exact feeling all her life. She reveled in it as she held her happiness in her arms. Finally, she forced herself to relax and she melted into his warmth as she joined him in sleep.

Tonight was more than a clubhouse party, it was a celebration for the club. After many months of turmoil the club was finally getting some downtime. Families and friends would be there early for a cookout then as the children went home, the adults would stay and party well into the night. Everyone was ready for this; it was a long and painful wait for better times. Tonight for the club, the wait is over.

Hap slept through the cookout, but felt good about being out tonight. He enjoyed having Audrey on his arm tonight. She usually didn't attend club parties, leaving him to his fun. Tonight was different. He was all cocked up with pride over having this beautiful woman by his side. She was the kind of woman men just liked, and his brothers were no exception. They all flirted with her with varying degrees of success. Piney was particularly successful in this area. He'd noted several times that she treated him as a favored uncle, much to Piney's pleasure. He got away with a lot, getting relegated into the harmless dirty old man category. He played it like a pro and basked in her attentions. She was over with Piney now, currently tucked under his arm as Heather came over to him placing a hand on his arm in an effort to get closer to him.

Audrey saw the skank as she made her play. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the skinny blond with fake tits come on to her man. She stiffened under Piney's arm and he looked on to what was holding her attention. "You get your sweet little ass over there right now and stake your claim honey. Don't let her get away with that shit in your presence. He patted her on the ass and sent her off to deal with the scene in front of her. Several of the partygoers saw this unfolding and it was soon becoming the event to watch. Audrey had other ideas. She approached Happy's side forcing the blond to back up. After greeting Hap with a squeeze around his middle, Audrey faced the tramp and met the womans glare with a smile. "Hello, my names Audrey I don't think we've met." Audrey held her hand out.

The blonde took her hand reluctantly, Audrey having left her no other choice. "Heather."

"Heather, that's a pretty name. Is it your real name or your stage name? Well I guess it doesn't matter does it? Listen Heather, perhaps you are unaware, but Happy is here with me and will remain with me. I wasn't sure if you were just being rude, or simply unaware of my presence, but I thought I'd give you the opportunity to move on without any further humiliation. Because I'm sure you didn't mean to put your hands all over my man right in front of me. Now why don't you take my advice, it's free this time, and take advantage of one or more of the many single men at this party, ok?" Audrey said this all with a smile which remained on her face as the skinny bitch walked away without a word, not really sure what had just happened.

Still in the mood to play, she turned to into Happy's embrace. "Do you think all the women in this room understand that your ass belongs to me yet?' Sliding her hand down to cup his ass, she cracks a wide smile.

"Legs, that was hot." He couldn't resist kissing her lips hungrily in front of the entire room. She'd just made it clear to everyone her place in his life was not to be questioned and his ego was all swelled up at her possessiveness over him. He breaks away at the cat calls and rumblings of get a room, a self satisfied grin on his face as he snakes and arm around her neck pulling her closer.

They mingled with friends for a while before Happy got pulled into a poker game with the guys. Tig runs his mouth to Hap telling him to be sure to get permission from his old lady first. Hap was in no shape to get in the ring with Tig tonight so, he kissed Audrey's lips a few more times ignoring Tig's jealous taunts, before letting her go off in search of Tara.

She sees her friend standing near the door looking like she wants to escape. Approaching her she asks, "You thinking of making a break for it?"

Tara frowns "Its too smokey in here, want to step out?"

At her nod of agreement, the two women step outside and find an empty picnic table. Taking a seat on the table top, with their feet on the bench, they both relax away from the crowd. "You ok?" Audrey asks the Doc, the frown form earlier never really left her face.

Tara sighed "I'm just tired, and this scene's really isn't back in my comfort zone yet. Nice job in putting the skank in her place, by the way."

"I'll second that." Gemma adds as she approaches the two women she'd followed out the door. "You've got that girl so confused she doesn't know if you insulted her or want to be her friend."

"Yeah, well, I wanted to break her fingers but I thought I'd try a more reserved tactic first." Audrey replied. "She was Happy's go to girl wasn't she?"

"For sex maybe but nothing else" Gemma replied. "But not for a long time, baby girl."

"I know, but she needs to back the fuck off. This is another one of those situations that Hap will let me handle cause it's a girl thing, right?" Audrey asks looking for clarification.

Gemma sits down next to Audrey and puts an arm over her shoulder. "Ah, you're learning sweetheart. You're right, it was totally up to you to handle it and you did, although she may need to be reeducated. These dumb bitches circle like fucking sharks on prey waiting for an opening. If she sees one, she'll try and take it."

"She can try but he's mine and if there is a next time I'll bring it down to her level, so there's no more confusion."

Gemma laughs at Audrey's jealousy and even Tara had to hide a smirk. Audrey gets indignant. "What?"

Gemma's face takes on a softer look, "Jealous much? You really love him don't you?"

"Yup, he's mine and I'm not giving him back."

"That's a good thing because you're good for him. And you've done wonders for Juice's confidence too" Gemma assures her before pausing a moment to gather her thoughts before continuing. Leaning forward so she can see Tara as well, Gemma shares her feelings. "You know you're good for this club, the both of you. There's new life breathing through the MC, I can see the changes coming, good or bad. The club needs to move forward to survive. They need smart savvy woman to support them, to make them stronger." At the surprised looks on their faces, Gemma rolls her eyes and confesses. "I know, I freely admit to fighting change; to fighting you both. I didn't want Jax to go soft over you, and to a certain extent, the same for you and Happy" Gemma admitted first to Tara before turning to Audrey. "But they aren't soft, maybe more vulnerable, but not soft. If anything they are stronger. Happy has found a place to land, and Jax is making a family."

Seeing that she has left both women speechless, Gemma explains further. I'm not one to embrace change, as you both know. And Clay and Jax will probably continue to butt heads over how things need to be run. But that is on them. I don't want to see the MC life fade away, and I don't want our men in prison. The first part we can do something about, the second part, I'm not so sure. If they go away, we need to be ready to fight just about everyone who ever came up against the club. We'll be left vulnerable, and need to be prepared for that. All I'm saying is I'm glad that I'm not in this alone. I know you both are still struggling to accept the less savory aspects of this life, but I see that you are both in it for the long haul, and I'm proud of you both for succeeding."

A dark sedan sits on the street, with a clear view of the MC clubhouse. "Look at them all in there, partying like they haven't a care; going soft SAMCO is. I'm disturbed by their less than stellar response to our business plan. We can't let them hesitate in formalizing this deal. I wouldn't put it past SAMCRO to try and contact the Russians directly and find a new source for guns. We may have slowed down the Chinese pipeline, but soon they will have another route to traffic their guns. Clay's already talked business to them when we had the misfortune to sell to Zobelle. We can't let this deal fall through our fingers; I've got big plans for SAMCRO."

Jimmy thought through his options. "If they continue to stall us, we can get their attention. We know their vulnerability now. They'd all do anything to keep the Littlest Prince safe. That Weston fellow proved that. I could control Jax and maybe even Clay through Gemma if we take the child. The same way I control Chibs with his dear Fiona at my side." Turning to Luke he orders, "Find Cameron. Don't kill him just yet, he may prove useful and show us that he wasn't in on his son's betrayal. He'll do as I say if he wants to live."

About to have his driver pull away, Jimmy catches a glimpse of a black SUV driving by slowly. Suddenly, automatic weapon fire rings out, as bullets are sprayed over the clubhouse. Not wanting to get caught up in the blame for this scenario, Jimmy yells out "Drive! Drive!" The car speeds away leaving SAMCRO to deal with the devastation on their own.

End-Part 1

A/N I am planning a part 2 to this story. It's currently in bits and pieces in my head but I'll start writing it after the holidays. I want to thank everyone who has read/favorited/alerted and especially reviewed my story. I appreciate you sticking with me. Who knew when I started this story in May that it would take me so long to get it done! I hope I've been able to pique your interest for part 2. Thanks again for reading!


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